When planning the construction of a bath, it is important to remember about creating security inside the room. First of all, it concerns fire safety. By melting the sauna, the stove can be heated up to 300-400°C, which is much higher than the combustion temperature of wood, from which the sauna is most often built.

Do you need protection in your bath?

Protecting the walls of the bath from the heat of the furnace is not always required. For example, you can provide a distance between the wall and the stove, which will allow you to achieve fire safety without additional protection. The fact is that at a certain distance, the IR rays emitted by the furnace begin to scatter, which significantly reduces their impact on nearby surfaces.

The distance from the stove to the wall in the bath varies depending on the type of stove:

  • 0.32 m or more - distance for a stone oven with a quarter-brick laying;
  • 0.7 m or more - the required distance between the wall and the metal furnace lined from the inside with fireclay or brick;
  • 1 m or more is a safe distance for an unlined metal furnace.


At first glance, it seems that creating such a distance is much easier than installing additional protection, but this is fundamentally not true. Keeping a safe distance is advisable only in large steam rooms, but in small private baths, the stove, including indents, will occupy most of the room, so it will be much easier to use insulation.

Protective screens

Speaking about fire safety in the bath, first of all, it is worth highlighting the protective screens that are used to isolate the stove in the bath from the walls.

Metal protective screens

In the construction market, metal protective screens made of steel or cast iron are the most common. Many manufacturers of iron furnaces provide thermal insulation for their products, providing them with special casings.


Choosing protective screens is quite simple, because depending on the insulated side of the oven, you can purchase a front or side panel. Installation of such screens will also not cause difficulties, because the manufacturer provides special legs that are easy to attach to the floor.

Next, it is worth talking about the installation rules. The panels themselves are installed at a distance of 1-5 cm from the furnace, however, a distance is also required from the adjacent wall. Protective screens reduce the radiated temperature to 80-100°C, which allows them to be installed 50 cm from a parallel wall.

brick screens

The fencing of the stove in the steam room can also be made of brick. A brick screen can be installed on all sides of a metal furnace, forming a protective sheathing. Also, such a screen can only be installed between the combustible surface and the furnace, representing a protective wall.

Having decided to lay such protection, use a full-bodied fireclay brick, for which you can use clay or cement mortar to bind. Usually, half-brick (120 mm) masonry is used, however, due to a lack of material, quarter-brick masonry (60 mm) is suitable. Using the last laying method, remember that the thermal insulation properties of such a screen are reduced, so the distance to the wall should be increased.


Such finishing of the iron furnace in the bath is also carried out in compliance with some rules:

  • In the lower part of the shield, it is necessary to provide special openings that will ensure air convection between the furnace wall and the brick;
  • The height of the brick wall should exceed the height of the oven by 20 cm, but often it is led to the very ceiling;
  • Observe the distance between the oven and brick screens of 5-15 cm;
  • There should also be a distance of 5-15 cm between a flammable surface, for example, a wall and a brick protection.

Flame retardant wall cladding

The second option for protecting walls from fire is special sheathing, which is made from non-combustible materials. The working element of this protection, which reflects infrared rays dangerous for combustible surfaces, is a reflective material, for example, stainless steel.


Reflective wall cladding

You can assemble this version of the protective sheathing yourself. To do this, you will need a non-combustible thermal insulation material, which will be discussed in more detail below, as well as a stainless steel sheet.

Stainless steel can be replaced with a cheaper option - galvanization, however, when heated, it can release harmful substances, so we strongly do not recommend using it. Getting started, fix the insulation on the wall, after which, close it with a metal sheet.

To make such thermal insulation for the bath furnace as productive as possible, polish the metal surface. This will allow you to better reflect the IR rays back into the steam room, moreover, the reflected rays will be better perceived by a person.


As thermal insulation, you can use the following materials:

  • Basalt wool absolutely safe for the bath. It retains heat well, in addition, it has a high hygroscopicity and does not burn at all;
  • Basalt cardboard- a good option for a bath. It is a thin sheet of basalt fiber, which perfectly retain heat and do not burn;
  • Asbestos cardboard- a strong and durable heat insulator, which is also suitable for a bath;
  • Minerite for a bath It's also great material. Non-combustible plates are specially made for shielding hot surfaces in baths and saunas;

Before sheathing a wall near the stove in the bath, familiarize yourself with the correct technology for its construction. The most important thing is the order of installation and compliance with the gaps.


The ideal design has the following structure:

  1. Wall;
  2. Ventilation gap of 2-3 cm;
  3. Insulation 1-2 cm;
  4. Stainless steel sheet.

Remember that the total distance from the wall to the stove must be more than 38 cm. For fixing, use ceramic bushings to help form ventilation gaps. If the distance between the wall and the furnace is minimal, then it is necessary to use two layers of minerite plates, between which a gap must also be left.

Sheathing with cladding

This option is practically the same as the previous one, however, if you don’t know how to decorate the wall behind the stove in the steam room so as to preserve the beauty of the room while creating a safe environment, then this option is undoubtedly for you. Protect the walls by using heat-resistant decorative materials laid on top of the insulation.

Finishing around the stove in the bath can be done with the following materials:

  • Clinker tiles made from baked clay. It is characterized by high strength, heat resistance and durability. One of the advantages of this option is also a rich color palette, which includes not only black and white tones, but also blue or green colors;
  • Terracotta tiles also made of clay, but it is inferior to the previous version in terms of density and the number of possible colors;
  • Talcochlorite is a good option for lining for a bath, made of rocks of green and grayish shades. It has good heat resistance and strength;
  • Tiles- ordinary ceramic tiles, characterized by good heat resistance and a pattern on their surface;
  • Porcelain stoneware- heat-resistant tiles imitating natural stone or wood.


The tile will not dissipate heat, protecting the walls from fire, so it cannot be mounted directly on the wall. We recommend using the following structure:

  1. Wall;
  2. Gap for ventilation;
  3. Refractory material;
  4. Tiles (the distance from the tile to the oven must be at least 15 cm).

Such a “pie” will allow you to create a reliable protection of the walls from heat, while maintaining the beauty of the room.


One of the following options can be used as a refractory material:

  • Fireproof drywall- made from the same materials as ordinary drywall, but with the use of fiberglass;
  • Minerite slabs for a bath - absolutely not exposed to moisture and heat.
  • glass-magnesium sheet- plates made of fiberglass and magnesia binder. Excellent resistance to heat, moisture and noise.

This option will perfectly protect your bath from the possibility of fire, as well as insulate the room, while maintaining its aesthetic component.

The stove in the bath is the main attribute. It should be functional and harmoniously fit into the interior. Therefore, its decoration is treated responsibly. There are many materials on sale that are used in this case. The options for finishing the stove in the bath, as well as the recommendations of professional builders, will be discussed in detail below.

The need for finishing

Finishing the stove in the bath (a photo of successful work is presented below) can be made of different materials. After the brickwork is created, it needs to be given a spectacular appearance. When choosing materials, it is worth considering that they should not restrain the spread of heat from the furnace. Therefore, certain requirements are put forward for their characteristics.

Properly selected material will serve as a thermal screen that will not let infrared rays into the steam room. Also, the material will accumulate heat, allowing the bath to remain heated for a long time.

The comfort of people who are in the steam room depends on the quality of the arrangement of the furnace. At the same time, the lining must be durable, resistant to not only high temperatures, but also steam and water. On the surface of the oven should not remain scratches and chips. At the same time, it should be beautiful, fit into the existing interior of the room. Finishing material must be safe. It is able to extend the life of the furnace.

Material features

Finishing the stove in the bath is most often done using materials such as natural or artificial stone, tile or tiles (special tiles). Often, for such purposes, a special brick is used (red, fireclay or ceramic). The simplest and most inexpensive option is clay-based plaster.

The choice of material depends on the characteristics of the operation of the furnace. Also, the design must be combined with the existing interior. Facing usually does not require the help of a specialist. With such work, each owner of the bath can handle on their own.

Experts recommend choosing tiles for facing. Everyone can independently lay it on a prepared base. However, other types of materials are often used in the course. The choice of materials is huge. It is important to consider the characteristics of each variety. In this case, the work can be done qualitatively. Professionals say that even small mistakes made during the finishing work are very striking. Therefore, you need to perform all actions slowly, carefully and verified.

Brick

To make the right choice, you need to consider the characteristic features of each material. The classic option is to finish the stove in the bath with a brick. This is a common type of facing material. The brick prevents the wall from overheating. It can also be laid on the floor. In this case, the space in front of the furnace will also be insured against overheating.

When choosing this material, you need to consider that there are ordinary and decorative bricks. In the first case, the finish is made from the same material as the main masonry. However, special decorative varieties of this material look much more impressive. When choosing a brick for finishing, it is necessary to observe the levels of the rows. The seams between them should be thin and uniform.

The portal can be laid with offset rows or evenly. This is only possible if the cladding is done in one layer. In the process of work, the master must check the evenness of the masonry with a plumb line and level. If the furnace is overall, it is better to lay out bricks with an offset or parquet pattern. So the design will be stronger and more stable.

Finishing the stove in the bath with brick, according to reviews of professional builders, is a good option. It provides good protection of surfaces from overheating. It can be laid out directly on the wooden floor or walls. In this case, it is not necessary to mount additional fire-retardant heaters.

To finish the furnace, builders recommend purchasing fire-resistant varieties of bricks. Most often, this material is used for separate structures made of steel or cast iron. Brick contributes to the uniform distribution of heat in the room. It takes a long time to warm up. But then it evenly gives off heat into space.

The brick is resistant to moisture. When creating masonry, holes must be left. They are needed for free circulation of air currents. The varieties of refractory bricks that exist on sale allow you to choose a material that will match the decorative features of the room.

A rock

Finishing the sauna stove with stone would also be appropriate. This material can be natural or artificial. Stone in terms of fire resistance is not inferior to brick. But the appearance of the furnace becomes more spectacular. The stone is known for its high decorative effect.

It is worth considering that the decoration is carried out with a stone that has undergone special processing. Raw is not suitable for these purposes. From natural stone, elements are made that resemble tiles or blocks in shape. But on the back they should be flat. There are different types of stone. The most popular for finishing are granite, marble. However, in a steam room, they may look out of place.

The cost of the presented varieties of stone is quite high. Therefore, many bath owners choose other types of materials. It can be sandstone, shale. The second option is often sold chopped in large pieces. For this reason, the cost of the presented material is low.

Finishing the stove in the bath with decorative stone requires a lot of experience from the master. Laying out a brick portal is much easier. When dealing with natural stone, one has to deal with the unequal thickness of each decorative element. Their configuration may vary.

Laying a portal made of natural stone is often trusted to professionals. Not every owner of the bath can cope with this work on his own.

Decorative stone, which is on sale, may or may not be processed. The second option is not suitable for a bath. It will quickly become dirty and lose its attractive appearance. This becomes especially noticeable on the raw stones from which the decoration near the floor is made. Although many owners like the look of raw stone, it is better to give preference to the processed variety of this material. Their surface must be ground or polished.

Finishing Features

Finishing the stove in the bath with decorative or natural stone has a lot of advantages over other materials. In addition to the high ability to accumulate heat, decorativeness and practicality, the presented material has a healing effect on the human body. The structure of the stones contains different minerals. When heated, they affect the respiratory tract and other body systems. This statement is true for natural stone.

If the finish is made of a decorative variety of material, it also has a number of advantages. It is relatively inexpensive and at the same time has a spectacular appearance.

Natural and artificial stone are durable finishes. They are able to extend the life of the furnace. Often used for finishing metal furnaces. However, this option is also suitable for brickwork. The stone softens the heat of the stove.

Installation of stones is carried out on a special grid. A sheet of refractory basalt cardboard is installed under it. During the laying process, a fire-resistant mortar is used. Before installation, natural stones are immersed in water to improve the quality of the finish.

Tile

Finishing the wall of the furnace in the bath, the firebox is possible with the help of special tiles. It is not inferior to brick and stone in terms of fire resistance. The choice of shapes, shades and patterns of tiles is a huge amount. However, for finishing the furnace, it is worth choosing special varieties of such material. Porcelain stoneware is well suited for these purposes.

Unlike brick and stone, tiles can be of any color and pattern. It is worth considering that the installation of tiles on the wall near the stove is carried out only on a pre-mounted layer of thermal insulation. If you mount the tile immediately, it will not be able to protect the wall from overheating.

Slab size

The size of the plates is selected in accordance with the preferences of the owners of the bath. However, experts say that the larger the tile, the neater the finish. To mount it, you will need to provide a flat surface under a layer of tiles. For self-assembly, it is better to use small and medium tiles. Even a non-professional can handle this job. If the plates are overall, a specialist will be able to mount them evenly.

Tiles

Finishing the stove in the bath in the steam room is often performed by a special type of plate. They are called tiles. The production technology of such material is inexpensive. At the same time, the appearance of the finish is spectacular. This material may have the appearance of a thick tile on the surface. However, this effect can be obtained when using tiles without a pattern.

However, the materials of this group, which have three-dimensional drawings on the front surface, are much more popular. Such tiles are laid using the same technology as ordinary tiles. However, the thickness of the finishing layer in this case will be greater. This material is also used to finish part of the floor and wall near the stove.

A feature of this tile is the need for proper selection before installation. Each element of decoration must be selected by color. Tiles are compared with each other in shape, shade of glaze. If necessary, uneven edges are ground before installation. The end result should be a smooth portal. It will be a real masterpiece.

Decorative plaster

Finishing the stove in the bath with your own hands can be done using decorative plaster. This type of material has been used for such purposes relatively recently. Decorative plaster in this case has certain features. It is not applied in order to directly finish the brick or metal surface of the furnace. This material creates a barrier between the heater and the walls. At the same time, modern varieties of plaster allow you to create interesting design effects.

Plaster is used to finish the walls that are adjacent to the furnace. It is worth considering that this material is used if the heater is not installed in the steam room, but, for example, in the rest room. The fact is that decorative plaster has a lower indicator of moisture resistance. Therefore, it can be used in relatively dry rooms.

The composition of decorative plaster may include different components. It can be clay and sand, fireclay, gypsum and asbestos, lime. There are also cement-based compounds. The composition as additives may include fiberglass, salt, chopped straw. Before installation, a fiberglass mesh is installed on the surface. Plaster is applied to it. The heat resistance and thermal conductivity of decorative plaster is high.

steel case

Finishing around the stove in the bath can be done using a different technology. Steel can be used for this. This is a fire resistant material. It makes no sense to finish the walls around the stove with this material.

Steel conducts heat quickly. It does not protect surfaces from overheating. Therefore, a refractory finish is installed first. He will perform a protective function. Steel plays the role of a decorative element.

When choosing a steel case, you should give preference to metal that has been processed in a special way. In this case, the material will not be affected by corrosion.

Coloring

Another possible option for finishing the stove in the bath is staining. This is a simple, relatively inexpensive way to create a decorative layer. Paint is applied to almost any surface. However, preference should be given to its heat-resistant varieties. Ordinary paint for these purposes will not work.

Moisture-resistant silicone-based compounds are suitable for such purposes. Before applying paint, the surface is cleaned with sandpaper and degreased.

Having considered the options for finishing the stove in the bath, you can choose the best option in accordance with your taste preferences and interior features of the room.

Choosing a finish for a stove in a bath is not as easy as it seems. A mistake can be costly. Incorrectly selected material near the furnace will crack and collapse from high temperature. It is not safe. The task of facing, in addition to the decorative function, is to minimize the likelihood of accidental injury.

Collapse

How can you finish the stove in the bath?

First of all, these are:

  • ceramic tiles,
  • brick,
  • various types of stone
  • plastering with a special solution,
  • steel,
  • tiles.

As you can see, the choice of materials is quite wide. Each of these materials must have certain properties and undergo special processing in order to withstand the high temperature near the furnace. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Tile use

The tile on the stove in the bath is afraid of thermal expansion, therefore, when performing work, it is important to carefully observe the technological process. Facing the stove in the bath does not tolerate negligence.

Kinds

Usually use 7 types of tiles for cladding:

  • Terracotta is a tile that has not been glazed. It consists of terracotta clay and fireclay, which is mixed in a certain ratio. This tile has been known for several centuries. Properly set technological process greatly affects the final quality of the material. This tile can be easily recognized by its characteristic red tint.
  • Clinker tiles - clay is the main raw material. The material is obtained by pressing, then it is fired at a temperature of +1200 0 C. The crystal lattice of clay changes and the tile acquires the properties of ceramics.
  • Majolica is very difficult to manufacture. Previously, for drawing a picture, only manual labor was used. Now there are industrial samples. The glaze on the tile is obtained by firing. Properties resembles terracotta tiles.
  • Tiles are the most preferred option, due to the air gap between the tiles and the oven wall. This layer works as an additional heat insulator, allowing the stove to keep heat near itself even longer.
  • Porcelain stoneware - can also be used when facing the furnace. Marble chips, added during the production of porcelain stoneware, give the material unique decorative properties and high strength. Due to this, porcelain stoneware is rapidly gaining popularity.
  • Fireclay - able to withstand direct exposure to fire. Fireclay is pressed into blanks and fired at a temperature of +1300 0 C.
  • Tile - only a material with a high coefficient of heat resistance can withstand temperature loads.

Expert opinion

Nikolai Davydov

Baker with 15 years of experience

According to their properties, the most preferred option for facing the furnace is tiles. It is also the most labor intensive. The most budget option is a special tile with a high coefficient of heat resistance, but with its help it will not be possible to finish the hottest areas.

Instruction

Do-it-yourself tiling of a bath stove with tiles is done as follows:


Finishing the oven with bricks

Traditionally, the lining of the stove is made of brick. This material is also suitable for wooden walls near the stove. It is an additional heat accumulator.

At the same time, the brick acts as a protective screen that prevents burns and has a presentable appearance. You can also brick a metal furnace.

Kinds

For lining the stove, the following types of bricks are used:


Silicate and hollow bricks are not recommended. It will not hold heat well and will collapse. Chamotte brick is preferable, but it is more expensive.

Instruction

  1. Masonry is carried out on a solution specially designed for furnaces. It will provide optimal structural strength.
  2. The design of the foundation must be designed for such a load. Otherwise, you will have to make a separate foundation.
  3. Laying is done in half a brick. The brick is laid on the bed. We start laying from the corner, with 1/3 dressing.
  4. Ventilation holes must be provided for heat exchange in the masonry.
  5. Between the rows we reinforce the masonry with a mesh.
  6. After the masonry is completed, we perform the jointing of the seams.

Examples of brick lining the oven in the bath in the photo:

The use of plaster

Plaster is the most budgetary option for finishing the oven with your own hands. The product takes on a finished look and looks good in the interior. After plastering, you can whitewash with a special heat-resistant compound.

This type of finish is quite often used for a brick oven. The technology is as follows:


Tiles

The stove with tiles is a rather laborious process. Technology has made things a little easier. But until now, the construction of such a furnace takes 4-5 months, if you use the classic version. The laying and lining of the furnace takes place simultaneously. Although, in a simplified version, it is possible to impose a ready-made furnace.

Expert opinion

Nikolai Davydov

Baker with 15 years of experience

The drawing can be anything. Usually Russian folk motifs are used. The dimensions of the tiles are regulated by GOST 3742-47. Permissible deviations should not exceed 1 mm in all directions. Thanks to standardization, the cladding process has been greatly simplified. The most important thing is to choose the right material.

Instruction

It is worth following the following rules:

  1. Manufacturing material. Impurities in colored clay will not allow you to make a quality tile, so it is not used. Unlike it, white clay is an ideal raw material.
  2. The quality of a product is determined by its ability to absorb water. The more pores in the tile and the larger they are, the less quality the product will be.
  3. Choose tiles made by pressing.
  4. The surface of the product should not have a dull appearance and there should be no cracks on it. This happens when the product passes only one firing.

For facing, tiles must be sorted by shades. It will be necessary to lay them in such a way that the transition is not noticeable. The size is adjusted using a rasp and an angle grinder from all sides. Defective tiles should not be thrown away immediately. They can be used later.

The next step is to markup. The thickness of the horizontal seam should not exceed 3 mm, vertical - 1 mm. Now let's move on to installation.

Lay out the first row.

The process is very laborious, but the result is worth it. The first thing to do is properly prepare the tiles for installation. This will provide the best result.

The installation order is:

  • immerse the tiles in water, waiting until the clay draws water into itself;
  • clay in the tiller will increase the heat capacity, so you need to fill it halfway;
  • steel brackets allow you to correctly connect the tiles to each other;
  • a row of tiles will be connected to a row of stoves with a wire.

Tiles fastening scheme: 1 - ramp, 2 - pin, 3 - wire, 4 - brackets.

subsequent rows.

  • drill holes in the masonry;
  • we use self-tapping screws and wire as a connecting element;
  • with the help of wire we fasten steel pins;
  • we put the tile on the pin and bend the latter;
  • dry mortar will fill all the voids between the tiles.

Sauna stove in tiles

Conclusion

The choice of one or another material for facing the furnace in the bath is determined by the result that needs to be obtained in the end. The most interesting, from the side of heat preservation, option is tiling, but it is also the most time-consuming and expensive. If you want to cheaply veneer the stove, there is such an opportunity.

The most budgetary option is oven plastering. It is best to overlay a metal furnace with bricks. This will significantly increase the heat capacity of the furnace and it will cool down longer.

Another great option is porcelain stoneware. When deciding how to line the stove in the bath, pay attention to the quality of the materials used.

To isolate the space around the furnace, it is advisable to use minerite. This is a great sauna cover. They are lining the sauna - they close the wooden walls, although these plates can also sheathe the house.

Using the step-by-step instructions in this article, you can not only choose the right material in the best way, but also do the cladding of the furnace itself and its surfaces with your own hands. This was the main purpose of this material.

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During the kindling of the bath, the surface of the furnace is heated up to 300-400°C. At the same time, it begins to emit infrared rays and itself becomes a source of heating. The running heat is distributed throughout the steam room, but first of all it hits the walls adjacent to the stove. If the walls are wooden, then under the influence of high temperatures, their charring begins. And there is already close to the fire! The only truly effective way to insulate wooden walls from heat is to create protective screens and casings from non-combustible materials in the bath.

When is protection needed?

The need to install protective skins and screens does not always arise. If a fireproof distance is maintained between the stove and the nearest combustible surface, additional protection is not needed. At this distance, the IR rays scatter, weaken, and the amount that the wooden wall receives can no longer damage it.

It is believed that the safe distance from the wall to the brick oven (laying a quarter of a brick) is at least 0.32 m, from the wall to the metal furnace (not lined) - at least 1 m. For a metal furnace lined from the inside with brick or fireclay, the distance decreases to 0.7 m.

Thus, compliance with fire distances is more possible in large baths, where the issue of saving space is not relevant. In family steam rooms, where every centimeter of space counts, installing a stove 0.3-1 m from the nearest walls is impractical. In this case, the safety distances established according to the norms must be reduced with the help of screens and skins.

Protective screens near (around) the furnace

Protective screens are insulation shields that cover the side surfaces of the furnace and reduce the intensity of thermal radiation. Screens are metal and brick. As a rule, they are used for metal furnaces.

Method #1 - metal screens

The most common protective screens are factory-made steel or cast iron sheets. They are installed around the furnace, at a distance of 1-5 cm from the walls of the firebox. Depending on the need to insulate one or another side of the furnace, you can purchase side or front (front) screens. Many metal furnaces are initially made with protective screens in the form of a protective casing.

Protective screens reduce the temperature of external metal surfaces to 80-100°C and, accordingly, reduce the fireproof distance to 50 cm. The total distance from the firebox to the wall (together with a gap of 1-5 cm) will be 51-55 cm.

Installing protective screens is not difficult. Due to the presence of legs, metal shields are easily attached to the floor with bolts.

Method #2 - brick screens

A brick screen can cover all the side surfaces of a metal furnace, representing its outer skin. Then the stove will be in a masonry casing. In another case, a brick screen is a wall that separates the furnace and the flammable surface.

For laying a protective screen, a full-bodied fireclay brick is used. The binder is cement or clay mortar. It is recommended to lay in half-brick (thickness 120 mm). But, with a lack of material, it is possible to allow the wall to be made a quarter of a brick (60 mm thick), although in this case the heat-insulating properties of the screen will be reduced by half.

Small holes are left in the lower part of the shield (sometimes with furnace doors) for air convection between the brick wall and the stove.

Brick walls of the screen must end at least 20 cm above the top surface of the furnace. Sometimes laying is carried out to the very ceiling.

The brick screen is not installed close to the walls of the furnace, the optimal distance is 5-15 cm. The acceptable distance from the brickwork to the flammable wall is 5-15 cm. Thus, the use of a brick screen allows you to reduce the distance from the furnace to the wooden wall to 22-42 cm (oven - ventilation gap 5-15 cm - brick 12 cm - ventilation gap 5-15 cm - wall).

Protective non-combustible cladding for walls

The walls adjacent to the red-hot walls of the furnace are subject to spontaneous combustion. To prevent their overheating, special skins are used, consisting of heat-insulating and non-combustible materials.

Option #1 - reflective skins

Sheathings consisting of a combination of non-combustible thermal insulation and metal sheets are effective. At the same time, thermal insulation is attached to the wooden surface, which is covered from above with a stainless steel sheet. Some use galvanizing for these purposes, but, according to some reports, when heated, it can release harmful substances. It is better not to take risks and purchase a stainless steel sheet.

For greater efficiency, the metal sheet of the screen must be well polished. The mirror surface contributes to the reflection of heat rays from the wooden surface and, accordingly, prevents its heating. In addition, a stainless steel sheet, directing infrared rays back into the steam room, turns hard radiation into softer, better perceived by a person.

As thermal insulation for stainless steel, you can fix:

  • Basalt wool - it has high thermal insulation properties, it is absolutely safe when used in a bath. Possesses the increased hygroscopicity, does not burn.
  • Basalt cardboard - thin sheets of basalt fiber. It is used as fireproof, sound and heat insulating material.
  • Asbestos cardboard is a sheet refractory heat insulator. It has high strength and durability, protects flammable surfaces from ignition.
  • Minerite - non-combustible sheets (plates), specially made for shielding stoves, fireplaces, flammable surfaces in baths and saunas.

A popular example of sheathing using a metal sheet is such a “pie”: wall - ventilation gap (2-3 cm) - insulation (1-2 cm) - stainless steel sheet. The distance from the wooden wall to the stove is at least 38 cm (SNiP 41-01-2003).

Ceramic bushings are used to fasten the sheathing to the wall. They do not heat up and allow you to form ventilation gaps between the thermal insulation and the wall.

If the distance between the wooden wall and the stove is minimal, then the sheathing is made of two layers of refractory insulation, for example, mineralite. In this case, the sheets are fixed through ceramic bushings with a gap of 2-3 cm. The top sheet is covered with stainless steel.

Option #2 - sheathing with cladding

Of course, protective sheathing with stainless steel perfectly protects wooden walls from heat and fire. But it can spoil the impression of the most expensive finish. Therefore, if the steam room is designed in a decorative style, the refractory lining is masked with heat-resistant tiles. The tile is laid on heat-resistant glue, for example, produced by Terracotta.

The best materials for wall cladding near the stove:

  • Terracotta tiles - made of fired clay. Differs in durability, heat resistance, durability. Terracotta tiles can be matte or glazed (majolica) and range in color from pastel yellow to brick red.
  • Clinker tiles - also made of clay, outwardly similar to facing bricks. Unlike terracotta, clinker tiles are denser. The color scheme covers almost all colors, ranging from white to black, including greens and blues that are unusual for clay.
  • Tiles are a type of ceramic tile. It usually has an embossing in the form of a pattern or ornament on the front surface.
  • Porcelain stoneware is a heat-resistant, durable tile. Depending on the method of processing the front surface, the tile can imitate natural stone, brick, wood. In the color scheme - all natural shades, from white to black.
  • Talcochlorite is a grayish or greenish rock. Possesses fire resistance, water resistance, durability.

Fixing refractory tiles directly to the walls will not have the effect of thermal insulation. The wall will still heat up, which is fraught with spontaneous combustion. Therefore, the tile is used only as an element of the protective "pie" of the following design: wall - ventilation gap (2-3 cm) - refractory sheet material - tile. It is recommended to maintain a minimum of 15-20 cm from the tiles to the walls of the furnace.

Any material from this list can be used as a refractory element in sheathing:

  • Refractory drywall (GKLO) - drywall, supplemented with fiberglass fibers. Resists thermal effects without structural deformations.
  • Minerite is a cement-fiber board, absolutely non-combustible. Minerite plates are moisture resistant, do not rot, do not decompose.
  • Glass-magnesium sheet (SML) - a material in the form of plates, made on the basis of magnesia binder and fiberglass. It has heat and sound insulation properties, does not collapse under the influence of water and temperature changes.

Protective sheathing with obligatory observance of the ventilation gap has a very low coefficient of heat absorption, so the wall under it practically does not heat up. In addition, the use of lining allows you to mask the protective "pie" to withstand the finishing of the steam room in the same style.

During melting or using the bath, the surface of the oven becomes very hot, the temperature can reach 400 degrees and above. In this case, the stove itself will be a source of strong radiation of infrared rays, which quickly spread over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bath and heat all its walls, but especially those located near the stove.

Due to the very high temperature, the walls of the bath, made of wood, may begin to char, which in the future will lead to their ignition. To isolate wooden walls and ceilings from fire, fire-retardant compositions or chemical fire protection agents are often used. The most effective way to protect the walls of the bath, including wooden ones, from heat is a method such as shielding using non-combustible materials.





When the walls of the bath need to be protected from fire

The distance between the stove and the adjacent wall should be safe, that is, it should be enough so that the infrared rays less strongly affect the surface, and there is no fire in the bath.





SNiP III-G.11-62. Heating furnaces, smoke and ventilation ducts of residential and public buildings. Rules for the production and acceptance of work. Download file

SNiP III-G.11-62

The safe distance between the bath stove and the walls is determined on the basis of fire safety standards SNiP III-G.11-62 for the operation of stoves installed in rooms with walls or ceilings prone to burning:

SNiP 2.04.05-91. Heating. Ventilation and air conditioning. Download file

SNiP 2.04.05-91



Based on SNIP 2.04.05-91, a safe distance is set from the top of the stove to the ceiling:

  • with a ceiling protected by a 10 mm thick steel sheet laid on asbestos cardboard or on plaster laid on a steel mesh and overlapping the oven from 3 rows of bricks - not less than 250 mm,
  • with a protected ceiling and a thermally insulated ceiling of the top of a metal furnace, not less than 800 mm,
  • with an unprotected ceiling and a stove with an overlap of 2 rows of bricks - not less than 1 m.
  • with an unprotected ceiling and a non-insulated ceiling - no less than 1.2 m.




It is clear that a safe distance of 1 m between the stove and the wall can only be ensured in baths with a large area. In private baths, which have a small area, every centimeter of usable area is saved, so the stoves are placed at a short distance from the walls, and a brick screen is built to protect against heat or metal sheets are used as sheathing, as well as other non-combustible materials that significantly reduce the allowable safe distance.

Protective screens

The walls of the baths are usually protected from thermal infrared radiation by protective screens. As such screens, brickwork or metal shields are used, coupled with insulating materials. The protection is installed on the side surfaces of sauna heaters and/or on nearby surfaces.

Metal protective screen





Most often, in private baths, to protect interior partitions from high temperature and fire, an ordinary barrier is mounted, constructed from metal sheets that are installed near the stove (a five-centimeter gap is left between the surfaces of the casing and the stove). Metal screens are mainly lateral or frontal. A protective screen made of any metal significantly reduces the thermal effect of the furnace on the surface of the walls. Thanks to this metal protection, the temperature at the wall is reduced, which significantly reduces the safety distance.

Technical characteristics of Teplodar screens and installation scheme

Metal screens can be mounted on legs using anchor bolts to secure the structure to the floor. Commercially available metal reflective screens are already equipped with mounting frames for vertical fixation.







Protective screen made of red kiln bricks

Brick barriers often cover the side surfaces of the stove, making the outer skin like a casing. In this way, combustible surfaces and a hot heater are separated.



From time immemorial, there has been a tradition to build stoves from brick or stone. Such a design heated up for a long time, but at the same time it radiated soft heat, and subsequently cooled down for a long time. Modern metal furnaces quickly heat up, emit hard infrared radiation, and the hot walls of the furnace burn out oxygen in the bath. In addition, a metal furnace is more flammable. In view of these aspects, it can be concluded that it is advisable to combine masonry or brickwork with steel structures.



A solid fireclay brick is well suited for the construction of a protective casing. A mixture of cement or kneaded on refractory clay will serve as a good bond for him. Masonry screen made of fireclay bricks, according to the value of the safe distance, is made about 12 cm thick (0.5 bricks) or 6.5 cm (0.25, respectively). However, expensive fireclay bricks are very rarely used in private baths to protect wooden walls, most often preference is given to red stove.



Before finishing (lining) a metal furnace with a red furnace brick, a foundation is first built.





Be sure to take into account: if the stove is located near the bearing wall, then there must be a distance of at least 5 cm between the foundation of the stove and the foundation of the building. .

The surface of the foundation should be 15-20 cm below the finished floor of the bath. After installing the foundation (it must be allowed to dry for 30 days), a moisture-proof material is laid on it in 2 layers - roofing felt or roofing material. Then, a brick is laid on the clay-cement mortar in 2 rows, shifting the bricks among themselves so that the masonry seams are covered with a brick lying on top.







This completes the foundation work.

On top of the foundation, a base protecting from heat should be made, consisting of:

  • a sheet of metal fixed on top of a layer of heat-insulating material;
  • two rows of bricks laid on a wooden floor;
  • heat-resistant ceramic tiles.


Before overlaying an iron stove with bricks, you need to prepare the right mortar for masonry. The best option for brickwork around a metal furnace would be a simple clay mortar (raw materials should be mined at a depth of more than two meters) with sand. The mixing process is not complicated. The clay is first soaked, then, already soaked, it is carefully rubbed through a sieve. The sand is sifted and mixed with soaked clay. The mortar in terms of viscosity and plasticity should be such that it does not squeeze out of the joints during laying. You can add 5-10% cement to the solution for strength.



The foundation of the protective screen can be made in a quarter of a brick, be sure to leave small holes in its lower and in the middle part - special windows that create air circulation between the brick screen and the installed stove (sometimes they are equipped with furnace doors). In this case, the bath will heat up very quickly.



The stove is best lined with half a brick. If the screen is made into a brick, then it will warm up for a very long time.

Attention! It is very important to take into account the requirement for fire safety - the distance between the walls of a metal furnace and brickwork should be 3 - 10 cm. In order for the brick screen to be more durable, a reinforcing mesh must be laid through a row, or even in each row. The verticality of the corners must be checked with a plumb line, and the laying of the rows with a building level must be checked for horizontality.

A brick screen can be laid out up to the ceiling. The main condition is that its height must be greater than the height of the stove by at least 20 cm.



For more reliable protection of wooden walls from high temperatures, the permissible distance between the wall and the built brick screen has been established. It should be less than 15 cm, but more than 5 cm, while the distance from the stove to any of the walls can be 20 - 40 cm.

Flame retardant lining

To protect the walls from a red-hot furnace, sheathings are often used, consisting of various special heat-insulating materials.

Stainless reflective lining

Special non-combustible thermal insulation or protective sheathing is stainless steel sheets that perfectly protect the wooden surface of walls in private baths from fires. To build such a simple screen, heat-insulating material is first attached to the wall, and only then a stainless steel sheet is attached on top.



To increase the effectiveness of the skin, it is desirable to polish a sheet of stainless metal well to a mirror finish. The mirror surface of the stainless steel significantly improves the reflection of the heat rays emanating from the stove, preventing the wooden walls from heating up. In addition, by redirecting hard infrared rays back, the mirror stainless metal will turn them into soft and safe for people to perceive.

Metal screens for a bath are easy to do with your own hands. The main thing is not to forget about using a heat insulator between the wall and the sheet of metal (minerite or asbestos cardboard will do)

Sheathing with cladding

The stainless steel mirror lining looks beautiful and perfectly protects the walls from fire, however, in some cases it may not be appropriate in the bath and over time the mirror surface will become dull, will not be able to reflect the rays with high quality and will not look as beautiful as originally. Heat-resistant cladding will help to solve the design problem in the bath for many years, for laying which heat-resistant glue is used on brick cladding.





For facing walls located next to the stove, you can use the following heat-resistant materials:

Attention! Any tile that is used for wall cladding cannot provide complete thermal insulation, it is only one of the components in a protective structure consisting of a refractory material and a small (2-3 cm) ventilation gap between this refractory material and the wall.

As a refractory material, you can also use a shield made of fire-resistant gypsum board, or fiberglass, which will not deform under the action of heat, from a fireproof cement-fiber board - mineralite or from a special tile material - glass-magnesium sheet.





Of course, the best option for cladding wooden walls is brick cladding. With such protection of the walls from high temperatures, the stove can be placed almost close to the wall. However, it is not always possible to use a new even brick for masonry and lay beautiful masonry around the stove. Sometimes a previously used brick is chosen for a protective screen in order to ennoble it with beautiful material in the future.

Facing a brick screen - step by step instructions

It is possible to ennoble and make the appearance of any brickwork more aesthetic with the help of a refractory and durable natural material.



Terracotta tiles, also referred to as "terracotta" for short, are very heat-resistant ceramic products made from kaolin clay fired at a temperature of about 1000 degrees. This wonderful material is absolutely non-combustible, it does not change its properties even from high (up to 1300 degrees) and low (up to -25 degrees) temperatures, does not change its beautiful appearance from the action of water or sunlight.



To finish the brick protective fence, Terracotta heat-resistant materials will be required: glue, paste, as well as finishing grout, which will fill the seams.


You will also need a drywall sheet (choose 9.5 mm GKL) for spacer plates, which must first be cut into small squares.



Tools. We stock the following supplies:


In advance, you need to dilute with water in a bucket and knead with a mixer a convenient and very reliable in terms of fire safety reinforced adhesive mixture "Terracotta".



Initially, screen bricks are laid around the furnace in a classic dressing, carefully removing excess mortar.



Attention! After finishing the masonry of the draft wall, it is imperative to wait 24 hours for the masonry to dry and gain primary strength.

Terracotta flagstone "Classic" is an amazing stone in its unique beauty. It looks very rich and massive.



It can be easily sawn with a diamond wheel or split with a hammer and then, spreading a thick layer of Terracotta mastic on it, stick it on the brickwork. Terracotta flagstone is heavier than terracotta tiles, but much lighter than natural stone.

When facing with flagstone, chopped drywall squares are used as inter-tile spacing and a tile movement fixer. The rough chipped edge of the limestone will not allow to withstand a gap of 10 mm everywhere and this will further give the stone-like cladding a natural feel.

Having brought the process of styling the wall under a wild stone to perfection, you can proceed to tiling. Laying rectangular terracotta tiles on a brick is necessary, starting with the laying of corner elements, thanks to which the decorative cladding will look like a classic oven masonry.

Corner elements must be glued from the bottom up, while the horizontals of the corners should be aligned only according to the level.



Attention! For gluing and setting of Terracotta mastic, at least 10 hours or more must pass.

After the mastic dries, you need to remove the drywall squares inserted as clamps and proceed first to filling, and then to jointing the joints between the plates.



This job will require heat-resistant wide-joint grout, which is a unique white compound designed to fill joints between slabs of various decorative surfaces that can be exposed to high temperatures.

The grout must be poured with water and stirred with a mixer to get a homogeneous solution, similar in its consistency to thick sour cream.



Attention! The time to use the grout solution is about 1 hour.

It is necessary to fill the tile joints with a construction gun, the nozzle of which must be cut obliquely so that an oblong hole is formed.



The tube of the gun is filled with the prepared grout solution using a narrow spatula.

Then, carefully inserting the nozzle, you should, smoothly and with low intensity, moving the construction gun along the length of the joints, squeeze out the grout and fill the joints so that the level of the filled grout is aligned with the level of the tile. Seams between slabs can be filled vertically or horizontally.



Attention! Special grout for joints should not get on the front surface of the finish. If it so happened that the mixture nevertheless got on the decorative lining, then the composition should not be removed immediately, but it is necessary to wait at least 2 hours until it hardens a little and then it will be possible to easily remove the contaminating fragment. The dried mixture must not be removed from the plates in a tangential direction or smeared.

After completing all the work on filling the joints, the grout will “ripen”, acquiring stucco compliance or slight crumbling after 2 hours. After this time, you can confidently proceed to the final part - the process of distributing the frozen grout and leveling it in the tile joints - decorative jointing, the purpose of which is to give the surface to be decorated an attractive look.



To begin with, from the seams, using a simple flat screwdriver, transversely deepened into the seam, it is necessary to remove the excess amount of grout slowly maintaining a constant depth. To remove excess grout, you can also use a small diameter metal ring, with which you can evenly remove the grout, like shavings.



The remaining grout in the joint can be gently spread with light pressure from a gloved finger, giving the grout the appearance of a flat surface without depressions or roughness.



The work on facing the heat shield of the brick walls is completed.



The first furnace fire in the sauna can only be started 24 hours after all the necessary grouting work has been done between the tiles.

Video - Heat-resistant screens for sauna stoves. Part 1

Video - Heat-resistant screens for sauna stoves. Part 2

Video - Installation of a sauna stove with a protective screen

Video - Protecting the walls of the bath with terracotta tiles

Video - Protecting the wooden walls of the bath from heat

How to protect the walls of the bath from the heat of the oven - technologies and materials

When planning the construction of a bath, it is important to remember about creating security inside the room. First of all, it concerns fire safety. By melting the sauna, the stove can be heated up to 300-400°C, which is much higher than the combustion temperature of wood, from which the sauna is most often built.


All the heat from the stove is released into the room, however, the main heat is absorbed by the nearby walls, which leads to their charring, as well as ignition. It is extremely important to avoid such consequences, so in this article we will describe in detail how to isolate the stove in the bath from the wall. See also: "Heat sauna stoves - types and design features."

Do you need protection in your bath?

Protecting the walls of the bath from the heat of the furnace is not always required. For example, you can provide a distance between the wall and the stove, which will allow you to achieve fire safety without additional protection. The fact is that at a certain distance, the IR rays emitted by the furnace begin to scatter, which significantly reduces their impact on nearby surfaces.

The distance from the stove to the wall in the bath varies depending on the type of stove:

  • 0.32 m or more - distance for a stone oven with a quarter-brick laying;
  • 0.7 m or more - the required distance between the wall and the metal furnace lined from the inside with fireclay or brick;
  • 1 m or more is a safe distance for an unlined metal furnace.


At first glance, it seems that creating such a distance is much easier than installing additional protection, but this is fundamentally not true. Keeping a safe distance is advisable only in large steam rooms, but in small private baths, the stove, including indents, will occupy most of the room, so it will be much easier to use insulation.

Protective screens

Speaking about fire safety in the bath, first of all, it is worth highlighting the protective screens that are used to isolate the stove in the bath from the walls.

Protective screens are special panels made of non-combustible materials (metal or brick), which significantly reduce the intensity of heat radiation. Most often, this method of insulation is used for metal furnaces. See also: "How to make a screen for a sauna stove - options and solutions from an expert."

In the construction market, metal protective screens made of steel or cast iron are the most common. Many manufacturers of iron furnaces provide thermal insulation for their products, providing them with special casings.

Choosing protective screens is quite simple, because depending on the insulated side of the oven, you can purchase a front or side panel. Installation of such screens will also not cause difficulties, because the manufacturer provides special legs that are easy to attach to the floor.

Next, it is worth talking about the installation rules. The panels themselves are installed at a distance of 1-5 cm from the furnace, however, a distance is also required from the adjacent wall. Protective screens reduce the radiated temperature to 80-100°C, which allows them to be installed 50 cm from a parallel wall.

brick screens

The fencing of the stove in the steam room can also be made of brick. A brick screen can be installed on all sides of a metal furnace, forming a protective sheathing. Also, such a screen can only be installed between the combustible surface and the furnace, representing a protective wall.

Having decided to lay such protection, use a full-bodied fireclay brick, for which you can use clay or cement mortar to bind. Usually, half-brick (120 mm) masonry is used, however, due to a lack of material, quarter-brick masonry (60 mm) is suitable. Using the last laying method, remember that the thermal insulation properties of such a screen are reduced, so the distance to the wall should be increased.

Such finishing of the iron furnace in the bath is also carried out in compliance with some rules:

  • In the lower part of the shield, it is necessary to provide special openings that will ensure air convection between the furnace wall and the brick;
  • The height of the brick wall should exceed the height of the oven by 20 cm, but often it is led to the very ceiling;
  • Observe the distance between the oven and brick screens of 5-15 cm;
  • There should also be a distance of 5-15 cm between a flammable surface, for example, a wall and a brick protection.

Flame retardant wall cladding

The second option for protecting walls from fire is special sheathing, which is made from non-combustible materials. The working element of this protection, which reflects infrared rays dangerous for combustible surfaces, is a reflective material, for example, stainless steel.


There are also options for decorative finishes that preserve the aesthetic purity of your bath. One of the advantages of this method is that protecting the walls in the bath from the stove will not only avoid fire, but also keep the heat inside the room. See also: "Finishing the stove in the bath - the choice of material for decorative cladding."

Reflective wall cladding

You can assemble this version of the protective sheathing yourself. To do this, you will need a non-combustible thermal insulation material, which will be discussed in more detail below, as well as a stainless steel sheet.

Stainless steel can be replaced with a cheaper option - galvanization, however, when heated, it can release harmful substances, so we strongly do not recommend using it. Getting started, fix the insulation on the wall, after which, close it with a metal sheet.

To make such thermal insulation for the bath furnace as productive as possible, polish the metal surface. This will allow you to better reflect the IR rays back into the steam room, moreover, the reflected rays will be better perceived by a person.

As thermal insulation, you can use the following materials:

  • Basalt wool absolutely safe for the bath. It retains heat well, in addition, it has a high hygroscopicity and does not burn at all;
  • Basalt cardboard- a good option for a bath. It is a thin sheet of basalt fiber, which perfectly retain heat and do not burn;
  • Asbestos cardboard- a strong and durable heat insulator, which is also suitable for a bath;
  • Minerite for a bath It's also great material. Non-combustible plates are specially made for shielding hot surfaces in baths and saunas;

Before sheathing a wall near the stove in the bath, familiarize yourself with the correct technology for its construction. The most important thing is the order of installation and compliance with the gaps.


The ideal design has the following structure:

  1. Wall;
  2. Ventilation gap of 2-3 cm;
  3. Insulation 1-2 cm;
  4. Stainless steel sheet.

Remember that the total distance from the wall to the stove must be more than 38 cm. For fixing, use ceramic bushings to help form ventilation gaps. If the distance between the wall and the furnace is minimal, then it is necessary to use two layers of minerite plates, between which a gap must also be left.

Sheathing with cladding

This option is practically the same as the previous one, however, if you don’t know how to decorate the wall behind the stove in the steam room so as to preserve the beauty of the room while creating a safe environment, then this option is undoubtedly for you. Protect the walls by using heat-resistant decorative materials laid on top of the insulation.

Finishing around the stove in the bath can be done with the following materials:

  • Clinker tiles made from baked clay. It is characterized by high strength, heat resistance and durability. One of the advantages of this option is also a rich color palette, which includes not only black and white tones, but also blue or green colors;
  • Terracotta tiles also made of clay, but it is inferior to the previous version in terms of density and the number of possible colors;
  • Talcochlorite is a good option for lining for a bath, made of rocks of green and grayish shades. It has good heat resistance and strength;
  • Tiles- ordinary ceramic tiles, characterized by good heat resistance and a pattern on their surface;
  • Porcelain stoneware- heat-resistant tiles imitating natural stone or wood.


The tile will not dissipate heat, protecting the walls from fire, so it cannot be mounted directly on the wall. We recommend using the following structure:

  1. Wall;
  2. Gap for ventilation;
  3. Refractory material;
  4. Tiles (the distance from the tile to the oven must be at least 15 cm).

Such a “pie” will allow you to create a reliable protection of the walls from heat, while maintaining the beauty of the room.


One of the following options can be used as a refractory material:

  • Fireproof drywall- made from the same materials as ordinary drywall, but with the use of fiberglass;
  • Minerite slabs for a bath - absolutely not exposed to moisture and heat.
  • glass-magnesium sheet- plates made of fiberglass and magnesia binder. Excellent resistance to heat, moisture and noise.

This option will perfectly protect your bath from the possibility of fire, as well as insulate the room, while maintaining its aesthetic component.

How to sheathe the inside of the wall in the bath

The question of how to sheathe the walls in the bath has its own specifics, which is associated with the peculiarities of the bath conditions. The bath in relation to the interior is significantly different from any other premises, for example, from a residential building. Naturalness in design and performance characteristics take the leading positions.

The problem of how to sheathe the walls in the bath inside is complicated by the fact that a number of materials are simply dangerous to use at elevated temperatures.


What are the specifics of bath wall cladding

The classic Russian bath has several rooms with different functions and conditions:

  • The dressing room is the first room in the bathhouse, into which the door from the street enters and from which the door to the steam room exits. Thus, although a high temperature is not specially maintained in the dressing room, heated steam from the steam room enters here. Here, as a rule, the entrance door of the combustion chamber of the furnace is located, where firewood is loaded. This element also contributes to an increase in temperature. At the same time, the periodically opening door to the outside contributes to the penetration of frosty air in winter. In other words, a characteristic condition operates in the dressing room: a sharp temperature drop.
  • The main room is the steam room, where the sauna stove is located. In the steam room during the bathing procedure, a large concentration of superheated steam is maintained at a temperature of up to 70 degrees and a humidity of more than 60%. Added to this is the ingress of hot water on the walls. A furnace creates a particularly dangerous zone: the wall at the place of its installation and next to the passing chimney pipe must have increased heat resistance and be fireproof. An important requirement for any materials used to equip a steam room is the absence of harmful emissions when exposed to high temperatures.


  • The washing room (if there is one in the bath) has an entrance to the steam room, through which steam penetrates. A certain high humidity is provided by a washing container or a shower, but the temperature usually does not exceed 30 degrees. A nook stands somewhat apart, where a shower cabin is equipped - here there is a direct effect of water.
  • Finally, the rest room. Its design differs little from the improvement of ordinary premises. However, one should not forget about the possibility of steam penetration, contact of the wall covering with a damp body and wet clothes. In general, in this room, preference is already given to interior arrangements that set you up for relaxation and rest.

Features of the arrangement of the walls of the steam room

Wall cladding in the steam room should include such mandatory elements as thermal insulation, steam protection and waterproofing. Mineral wool or expanded polystyrene is usually used as thermal insulation.


Waterproofing is made of polyethylene film or roofing material. For reliable protection of walls from the action of steam, polymer films coated with aluminum foil are used. Such puff protection protects the walls from operational factors and allows you to save heat and steam in the steam room.

The outer covering of the walls of the steam room is almost always made of wooden parts. The most popular is the lining, which is a wooden plank. With their help, lining is also made on the inner surface of the wall.

When you decide to sheathe the walls in a steam bath with clapboard, you need to take into account the material from which it is made. Coniferous wood should not be used. The fact is that when exposed to superheated steam, resinous substances are released, which are not always useful for the human body. In addition, hot resin can burn you. It is better to use hardwood, in which there is less resin. Moreover, the resin of trees such as linden or birch even has a healing effect on the human body and is recommended for certain diseases.

When cladding walls in a steam room, linden and ash are considered the most optimal. In addition to the safety of secretions, they do not heat up to high temperatures and retain their color in bath conditions for a long time. In addition to linden and ash, birch, aspen, and poplar are widely used.

Lining is recognized as the best facing material for steam rooms. Its installation technology is quite simple. Waterproofing is applied to the surface of the wall and a crate of wooden slats 2x4 cm in size is mounted. The racks of the crate are fastened in increments of 40-60 cm. Thermal insulation is applied between the bars of the crate, and vapor barrier with a layer of foil on top. The planks of the lining are attached to the crate with the help of self-tapping screws, the caps of which must be insulated and deepened into the wood to avoid burns when washing in the steam room.

A special area in the steam room creates a stove. Around it, a temperature is created that can ignite combustible material. The question of how to sheathe the wall near the stove in the bath has a specific solution. Heat-resistant protection from asbestos, expanded clay, refractory (fireclay) bricks is created directly in the zone of contact between the wall and the furnace. The distance from the stove to the wooden part of the wall should be at least 45-55 cm. Thermal insulation is usually provided by brickwork. In the area where the stove is located, the walls in the bath can be sheathed with flat slate, which will successfully replace asbestos fiber.



How to equip other rooms

There is no longer a high concentration of steam in the dressing room, and the temperature, as a rule, does not exceed 30 degrees. In this room, you can think about saving money on wall cladding. The most attractive option is wood: lining, timber, board. However, cheaper conifers can be used in the dressing room, and their aroma in this room will create high-quality moral preparation for the washing procedure. The danger zone is also created in the dressing room by the stove (the combustion chamber comes out here).

Around the stove, it is also necessary to fix the material of increased heat resistance.

The washing room is also characterized by a low temperature. It is quite appropriate to use coniferous wood: pine, spruce, larch. Taking into account a slightly increased humidity, larch, which has a higher moisture resistance, looks preferable. In this room, the wall decoration with ceramic tiles also looks normal. This is especially true of the shower corner, where even with a general wooden design, it is better to tile the wall area with tiles.


The arrangement of the rest room is already a matter of design. In this room, the main task is to create a cozy atmosphere. Even the issue of thermal insulation and waterproofing becomes optional, and steam protection is not necessary. Most often in the Russian bath and the rest room is made out of wood, and the emphasis is on cheaper conifers that have a beautiful texture. The structure of the tree can be emphasized with tinting impregnation. However, here it is quite possible to apply finishing with chipboard and drywall. In the design of the rest room, you can, in principle, use any material. It’s worth thinking carefully about the advisability of sticking wallpaper, since the likelihood of touching with a wet body is high.

Screens for a metal furnace in a bath

Recently, metal furnaces have been increasingly used to kindle a bath. During kindling, their surface heats up to 400 degrees Celsius, while it emits certain rays that can provoke a fire. That is why it is so important to install screens between the metal stove and the wood paneling. For these purposes, non-combustible materials are selected. Which? Let's figure it out together.


Situations in which wall protection becomes vital

It is not always necessary to use protective screens around the oven. In situations where a safe distance between the described object and the combustible surface was observed at the stage of installing the furnace, it is not necessary to build additional protection. And that's why. The occurrence of a fire becomes possible under the condition that the IR radiation of the wood-clad stove is reached. If the stoves are moved to the right distance from the walls, the IR rays are scattered while they get to them.


Determining a safe distance is easy. For brick and metal furnaces, it is different.

  • If the laying of a brick oven is carried out in a quarter of a brick, a safe distance to the walls is considered to be 32 cm.
  • If a metal furnace is installed in the bath, not lined inside, there must be at least a meter from it to the walls.
  • When a lined metal furnace is installed in the sauna, the safety distance is reduced to 70 cm.

Possible options for the safe installation of furnaces and protective screens are shown in the photo.

  • Number 1 - shielded metal furnace.
  • Number 2 - a wall made of combustible material (wood).
  • Number 3 - protection made of a metal sheet (asbestos-cement cardboard must be placed under it).
  • Number 4 - galvanized steel roofing sheet installed up to the ceiling.
  • Number 5 - steel sheet, the thickness of which is at least 1 mm.
  • Number 6 - brickwork, the thickness of which is 55 mm (a quarter of a brick) or 120 mm (half a brick).
Note! It is possible to observe the fire-prevention condition only in spacious baths, where the issue of saving space is not at all worth it. Only large spacious bath complexes can afford to operate stoves without protective screens; it is simply impractical to install metal stoves at a distance of a meter from the nearest wall in family steam rooms. Therefore, the use of protective screens becomes necessary.

Protective screen installation options


What are bath screens? These are shields that allow you to isolate the surfaces of the walls where the stoves are installed. There are two types of protective screens: metal and brick.

The easiest way is to install factory-made steel or cast iron sheets on the walls in the bath. On sale you can find side screens or front sheets. They are installed around the heating object at a distance of 5 cm from the walls of its firebox. The photo shows what a metal protective screen looks like. The ready-made screen is installed quite simply, it has metal legs, they are attached to the floor with ordinary bolts.

Note! On sale you can find ready-made metal furnaces, the design of which requires a protective casing. It helps to reduce the temperature of the furnace walls to 80 degrees. This means that the fireproof distance to the wooden wall cladding can be reduced to 50 cm.

Protective screens made of bricks

The brick screen is similar in design to a fireplace; it covers both the side surfaces and the back of the metal stove. Such a brick casing is assembled exclusively from fireclay bricks, a clay mixture is used as a binder solution. The casing is assembled using laying in half a brick. Experts assure that the norms allow the assembly of a brick screen in a quarter of a brick, but in this case its thermal insulation properties will be reduced by exactly half. The following photo shows options for installing brick screens for a metal furnace.

Note! Holes for air convection are left in the lower part between the screen and the screen wall. The height of the brick casing should be 20 cm higher than the height of the metal stove. It is allowed to bring the masonry up to the ceiling. Sometimes the use of such a technique becomes justified from a design point of view.

It is impossible to install a brick screen close to the furnace. Between them there should be a distance of five to fifteen centimeters. The photo posted above shows the assembly diagram of such a screen.

Layer between wall and metal screen

Any metal has the ability to accumulate heat, it will absorb it, even being at a safe distance. Therefore, it is advisable to install non-combustible skins between a wooden wall and a metal screen (if it is hung directly on the wall). These are heat-insulating materials, such as basalt wool, basalt cardboard, asbestos cardboard, minerite.

If it is necessary to create such protection, a multilayer cake is formed (the device diagram is shown in the following photo):

  1. Wall (ventilation gap 3 cm, it is formed due to the use of ceramic bushings).
  2. Insulation.
  3. Stainless steel sheet.
Note! When using such protection (according to SNiP 41-01-2003), the distance from the wooden wall to the stove should be at least 38 cm. It is this indicator that makes it possible to save space in the steam room.

The use of such protection options can significantly spoil the overall design of the bath complex. Therefore, many are trying to find an alternative to the described sandwich. And she is. Heat-reflecting protection can be built using heat-resistant tiles, which are attached to the surface of the walls of the bath with heat-resistant glue. As the main decorative material is most often used:

  1. Terracotta tiles.
  2. Clinker tiles.
  3. Oven tiles.
  4. Porcelain tile.
  5. Talcochloride.

If such material is attached directly to the wall, it will still get very hot, therefore, in the case of wall cladding with decorative tiles, it is also necessary to build a sandwich (wall - ventilation gap - refractory material - facing tile). The distance from the wall protected in this way to the stove can be 15 cm. The following photo shows the installation diagram of the lining with the lining.

Different materials are used as a refractory element in a sandwich. It can be drywall, GKLO brand. Its structure contains fiberglass, so the material perfectly holds heat. The next material is mineralite - a cement-fiber board. It does not burn, does not absorb moisture, does not rot in a humid environment, does not decompose under the influence of temperature changes. Another option is the use of plates made on the basis of fiberglass and magnesia binder. Such a plate has good heat and sound insulation properties. She is also not afraid of sudden changes in temperature.

The use of such cladding allows you to skillfully mask protective screens, make them part of the main decor, and decorate the steam room in the same style.

Generalization on the topic

When installing a ready-made metal furnace in a bathhouse, the construction of protective screens is considered mandatory. They help to soften the thermal radiation generated by the heating object. For the manufacture of screens, non-combustible materials are used, they close the walls near which the furnace is installed. Protected from heat and floor. If it is necessary to make a steam room in a single design style, heat-resistant sheathing is used.

Non-combustible materials for baths and saunas

In the bath, it is desirable to use materials that do not support combustion. They are usually called incombustible. Another requirement: when heated (not burning, but heating), they should not emit harmful substances. This requirement is relevant, since in some bath rooms the air temperature under the ceiling can be 100 ° C and higher. The stove and chimney are even more dangerous in this regard - here the temperatures are even more solid. Fire safety in these places provides non-combustible materials for the bath. Many were developed specifically for bath modes, in their name in one form or another there are the words "bath" or "sauna".



A little about terms

To avoid confusion in the properties and scope of materials, let's understand the terminology. There are non-combustible materials (NG), there are slightly combustible (G1) and simply combustible (G2).

Non-combustible materials under the influence of ignition sources (sparks, open fire, electric discharge, etc.) do not burn. At all. For example, reinforced concrete, stone, brick and some other building materials.

Weakly (hardly) combustible materials are incapable of full combustion, however, they burn. These are fiberglass, asphalt concrete, drywall, etc.

There are also refractory and heat-resistant materials. Refractories withstand exposure to open fire for a long time. They are used in furnaces for furnace lining. In relation to baths, these are fireclay bricks and fireclay masonry mortar. Heat-resistant are able to withstand high temperatures, but open fire may not be able to endure.

For thermal insulation of walls, floors and ceilings

In order for the steam room to quickly gain temperature, to keep it longer, it is often insulated. And the walls and ceiling. As we said, the temperatures are serious, so not all materials can be used. Most often, mineral wool is used. It is suitable for fire requirements, however, there are difficulties with humidity: it does not tolerate getting wet. To solve this problem, a layer of vapor barrier is attached on top, which prevents moisture from penetrating inside.

Mineral wool

But the material for mineral wool can be glass, slag and rocks. In addition, stone wool (from rocks) is also thin and ultra-thin. All of them have different characteristics. What we are most interested in is that they can withstand different thermal loads. Technical characteristics of mineral wool of different origin are given in the table (BTV - thin basalt fiber, BSTV - ultra-thin basalt fiber).



If you look only at temperature conditions, then any of the materials is suitable for thermal insulation of walls in a bathhouse: the minimum sintering temperature is for slag wool, but it is much higher than the limit to which walls or ceilings can heat up - more than 250 ° C. But slag wool can only be used in dry rooms, as it is very hygroscopic. Therefore, it is better not to use it in the steam rooms of Russian baths and washing rooms (you can use it in sauna steam rooms).

If we talk about the convenience of work, then it is inconvenient to work with slag and glass wool: protective clothing, respirators, gloves are required. Mineral wool made by any technology does not prick and is the best choice. And specifically for the steam room, it is best to use mineral wool with a foil surface such as Izover Sauna, URSA and TechnoNIKOL. It combines the functions of insulation and vapor barrier (as in the case of a separate vapor barrier, the joints are glued with adhesive tape).



Read here how to properly insulate a bath.

Foam glass

If the safety and harmlessness of tribute is very important to you, pay attention to foam glass. It is absolutely harmless, has a high melting point (450°C), does not burn, but only melts. Available in several types:


The last two types of foam glass are well suited for floor and attic floor insulation. Where expanded clay was previously used, crumbs or foam glass granules can be poured. They practically do not absorb water (water absorption 2-4%), have low thermal conductivity.



Aerated concrete blocks

Another non-combustible wall insulation is low-density aerated concrete. Houses or the same baths are built from high-density blocks, and low-density material is used for insulation.



For insulation, blocks with a density of D400 and below are used. There are two main disadvantages. First - a large thickness of the material is required (two times more than the same mineral wool). In small baths, this can be critical. The second - attaching something to the blocks is problematic - low tear strength. But the material is non-combustible, environmentally friendly, inexpensive, easy to install.

Sheet non-combustible materials

One of the problems in the bath is the protection of combustible walls from the heat of the stove. Traditionally, they are protected with a brick wall, metal sheets, under which a layer of heat-insulating material (mineral wool cardboard) is laid. However, there are other types of sheet non-combustible materials:

  • Silicate-calcium sheets SKL. They consist of quartz sand, lime and silica components. Do not burn, do not contain or emit any harmful substances. They are not afraid of water - when immersed in water for 100 days, they do not change their dimensions and properties. They are not affected by mold and fungi, they have no thermal deformation.
  • Glass-magnesite sheet (plate) LSU. This type of material has excellent characteristics: it does not burn, has low thermal conductivity, does not absorb moisture, does not deform in a humid environment, does not rot, and is environmentally friendly. It is stronger than SKL, tiles can be glued to it without pre-treatment. This type of material is available with a laminated surface, then it is called SKP - glass-magnesite plates or panels. Mounting - on profiles used for plasterboard.

Any of these materials can be used to protect combustible walls from high temperatures near the furnace. From SKL, you can make a passage unit, sheathe the ceiling with plastics, and insulate the pipe. In general, use in any place where high temperature protection is required.



Characteristics of non-combustible sheet material LSU and low-combustible drywall and GVL

Bath wires

One of the most important moments in the construction of a bath is the correct wiring. This is especially true for wooden and frame buildings. All wiring must be done strictly according to the rules:

  • laid in non-combustible boxes, cable channels or corrugated hoses;
  • when connecting wires, the use of twists is not allowed, only through soldering, connectors or contact plates;
  • in the steam room, special heat-resistant lamps are used;
  • wiring is carried out with a flame retardant cable.

The greatest number of concerns in terms of electrical wiring is the steam room. The combination of humidity, temperature, lots of wood and electricity is a very fire hazard. Therefore, many tend to do without electricians in the steam room at all, and make lighting with the help of fiber-optic lamps. Yes, they cost a lot, but they are safe - in the steam room there is only fiberglass that conducts light, and the entire electrical part is located in “dry” rooms.

In principle, there is no such thing as non-combustible (heat-resistant, heat-resistant) cables. There are cables that are flame retardant and fire resistant. Fire-resistant are used in fire extinguishing and fire detection systems. They should remain functional for some time even when exposed to direct fire. In the bath, they are useless.

Flame-retardant cables do not burn themselves, but they stop working almost immediately after exposure to open fire or high temperatures - they melt. So they should be used when distributing electricity in baths. The table shows their names.

For wiring in the bath, use VVGng. The letters LS added further indicate a small amount of smoke during combustion, which is also not bad and it is advisable to take just such a wire. The diameter is chosen depending on the total power of the electrical equipment installed on the line. Usually it is 2.5 mm2.

For chimney insulation

The chimney from the sauna stove must be insulated. There are two cases when this event is necessary. The first is to secure the combustible materials of the floors and roofs as the pipe passes through them. This item is always performed and is mandatory. For the passage of the pipe through the ceiling and the roofing pie, there are special devices that are called the PPU ceiling-through unit. This is a special-shaped box made of non-combustible materials - metal (stainless steel, for example) or the magnesite sheet described above. Read about the rules for the passage of pipes through the ceiling and roof.



The second case is not found in everyone. It is the attic pipe insulation when it is necessary to turn it into a living room. The second option is to reduce the formation of condensate. For these purposes, mineral wool is usually used, which is wrapped twice around the pipe, securing it with wire.

You can make everything more “civilized” by building a brick sarcophagus around the pipe (brick is also a non-combustible material). This is an option for turning the attic into a living space. The brick screen will "work" as a heating shield, spreading heat. At the same time, it will protect against burns.



If the brick does not pass by weight (may be too heavy), you can make a box of non-combustible sheet material - SKL or LSU.

A Russian bath built according to all the rules is always a source of pride for its owner. After visiting the steam room, health improves, and problems fade into the background - this is a place where you can have a wonderful rest. The “heart” of the bath building is considered to be a stove, the lining of which is of no small importance.

The stove in the bath

The main room in the bath building is the steam room, where there should be a high temperature during the procedures. Equally important is the couple. In order for the steam room to function in the desired mode, the oven, the main element of the entire bath, will help to achieve the necessary parameters.

When building or purchasing a heating unit, it is necessary to pay attention to the compliance of its functionality with a number of requirements:

  • rapid warming up of the room;
  • stability of the furnace structure to high temperatures;
  • the ability to work for a long period;
  • beautiful appearance.


Of no small importance for the full functioning of the furnace in the future is the quality of the materials used for its manufacture.

Sauna oven lining

The heating unit installed in the bath building must not only provide the desired temperature regime, but also have a beautiful view. One of the best solutions in this case is deservedly considered to be lining the stove in the bath.

When finishing the furnace structure, they most often use:

  • bricks;
  • tiles;
  • stone (natural or artificial);
  • plaster;
  • tiles;
  • steel case.


Each of the above materials has its own quality characteristics.

Using tiles for finishing stoves

The tile belongs to the popular type of materials used to finish the stove in the bath, due to its affordable price and ease of installation.


When lining the furnace structure, the following varieties can be used:

  1. Clinker tiles. For its production, clay is used, adding energy melters, fireclay and various dyes to it.
  2. Tile "Majolica". These ceramic products are made from fired clay and glazed. The finished product has a bright and saturated color, which can be clearly seen in the photo. On such a tile, if desired, ornaments and drawings are applied.
  3. Terracotta tiles. In terms of the components used in the production process, it has much in common with Majolica. But such a lining for a sauna stove is not covered with glaze. The main advantage of "Terracotta" is its high strength. The product is produced in a round shape.
  4. Marble tiles. A stove with such a finish looks presentable, creating an atmosphere of coziness and comfort in the room. These marble products are characterized by strength and durability. This type of tile has no drawbacks.

Finishing the oven with bricks

This design option for the heating unit is not only economical, but also easy to implement.



Finishing the stove in a brick bath has advantages, including:

  • quick heating to the desired temperature and maintaining it for a long time;
  • the furnace design is not destroyed by steam and moisture. See also: "".

Stone in the design of sauna stoves

When the stove is finished in a bath with a decorative stone (artificial or natural), the interior of the room acquires a noble and aesthetic appearance. If the heating unit in the bath building is lined with such material, it belongs to the extra-class buildings.



Finishing the furnace with stone is performed from:

  • porcelain stoneware;
  • marble;
  • coil;
  • granite.

Application of steel case

Plastering the walls of the furnace structure

If the most inexpensive and simple option is chosen than to finish the stove in the bath, then the use of plaster will be the best solution.

The work is carried out in two stages:

  1. The walls of the stove are plastered to remove dust and dirt.
  2. The second time plaster is used to level surfaces, level chips and dents.

After completion of work, it is desirable to whitewash the furnace structure with lime.

Tiles for cladding

The old way of facing is the laying of tiles. Such a finish of the portal of the sauna stove and its surfaces gives the structure an unusual and rather original appearance. As a result of tiling, the stove in the room becomes a separate element of the interior.


Only the master can perform this reliable and durable finish. As a result, the furnace design has a higher degree of heat transfer compared to the use of other finishing materials.