How to make a sauna on the balcony: a guide to arranging a steam room

Owners of apartments with balconies have long begun to convert this additional space into useful premises. It is not uncommon to have a balcony with a winter garden, an office, a dressing room, or even an option combined with a living room or kitchen. But the bravest craftsmen embody many ideas that seem crazy at first glance. For example, a sauna in your own apartment. Not a bad balcony upgrade, isn't it? Let's figure out what is needed to bring this idea to life.

Important points

To build a mini-steam room in a small balcony space, you should calculate all the dimensions in advance, as well as change the insulation and install the electrical wiring. During construction, it is important to consider the positive and negative nuances of ventilation and waterproofing of the loggia.

Also, to equip a sauna on the balcony, you will most likely have to change the entire floor covering, ceiling and walls.

Brick, stone and other heavy materials that create excess load on the load-bearing slabs in the house are not suitable for interior decoration of the balcony. Wood is suitable for the steam room. To keep the room as warm as possible, it is important to choose the right insulation.

Before equipping a sauna on the loggia, it is necessary to carry out repair work (read more in the article “Do-it-yourself loggia repair”). The first thing you should do is remove all things from the balcony, and also remove the old finish, if any. For proper regulation of heat transfer for a steam room, the best place is the main wall of the house. To protect the steam room from possible emergency situations, it is better not to make it too large.

Optimal dimensions of the steam room:

• width 800 cm;
• up to 210 cm in height.

Decorating ideas

Depending on how you want to decorate the balcony yourself, step-by-step instructions may differ. Before you start carrying out any work, you need to decide on the following things:

• Purpose of the premises.
• Willingness to spend a certain amount on purchasing materials.
• Room style.
• Functionality.

The following materials are most often used for interior decoration of balconies:

1. MDF is a relatively inexpensive panel that is easy to install. They will help to quickly close the walls and make them visually smooth, even if the balcony structure is curvature. The material is environmentally friendly and durable. Technical indicators are similar to solid wood, but MDF is much cheaper than the latter. The panels are made from pressed wood shavings. Carbide resins are used to firmly connect the chips; they do not emit formaldehyde, which is harmful to humans and can be found in chipboards.
2. Siding. The use of this material is permissible for both indoor and outdoor use. Installing it is quite simple, since the siding sheets are the same and have special fastenings. The material is not afraid of low and high temperatures, does not burn, does not crack, does not become moldy, does not rust or rot. Any inexperienced craftsman can install siding, that is, you can do it yourself. The service life of the material exceeds 25 years, no weather conditions can harm it.
3. Plastic panels are a cheaper option than siding. They are light in weight, easy to install, and protect the structure well from drafts and moisture. If you require good sound insulation, plastic panels are a fairly good option as they can contain sound well. Plastic panels can be of any color, and a pattern can be applied to them. They well imitate wood, stone, marble, and other materials that are expensive and do not have the required qualities, while still meeting the aesthetic needs of the owner of the premises. Caring for plastic is quite simple: when it gets dirty, wash it with any detergent or just use a damp cloth. The material is not afraid of water and repels dirt.
4. Plaster is an old and traditional option, but working with it is not very convenient for a beginner. You will need to create a sheathing from a special mesh; the walls must be smooth. Plaster cannot be applied to soft insulation. It is worth considering that it is applied in layers, and each layer takes about a day to dry: this is the longest option. Plaster is afraid of moisture; a positive quality is low cost. The plaster mixture can be painted after hardening; it is well suited for classic interiors. Another positive quality is the ability to retain heat well indoors.

Compact sauna on the balcony: main advantages

You can build a sauna on the balcony in your apartment with your own hands - it’s not difficult if you put in a little effort. The dry steam room is heated by an electric fireplace. To heat it, you do not need to use firewood or other types of fuel. After relaxing in the sauna, no ash will form on the floor or in the stove. Additional advantages:

• inexpensive arrangement in a short period of time;
• the effect of a real steam room;
• small dimensions;
• the room heats up in a matter of minutes;
• the ability to warm up at home, rather than in public saunas;
• the steam room does not disturb the neighbors at all;
• You can steam at different times of the day.

Finishing sequence

Repair work on the balcony must be carried out in strict sequence, this is the only way the next step will not spoil the work already done. During the DIY repair process, you will have to go through the following steps:

1. Arrangement of the frame, which will become the basis of both the external and internal cladding, as well as the window system.
2. Glazing. It is preferable to use two-chamber aluminum or wooden systems: although plastic ones have a more affordable price, they will last less.
3. Exterior finishing with moisture-resistant material: clapboard, siding, etc.
4. Installation of galvanized metal sheets or plywood on the frame for protection from weather conditions.
5. Attaching the waterproofing film, installing insulation, blowing the gap with special foam.
6. Installation of additional sheathing from slats.
7. Finishing of surfaces: ceiling, floor, walls.

Work related to the balcony should be carried out in the warm season - this will significantly facilitate and speed up the process

When taking on this process yourself, it is especially important to pay attention to choosing a period when cold or excessive dampness will not interfere with finishing

Safety regulations

Opponents of installing saunas on balconies usually say that this design is unsafe. But if you follow all safety standards, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from unforeseen situations:

1. Entrust the electrical installation and installation of lighting on the loggia to professional craftsmen. It is also important to monitor the entire process personally.
2. The outer walls of the steam room should fit tightly to the insulating material. The booth should not border the street.
3. It is recommended to make a separate outlet for the stove. It is not safe to run wires inside the mini-sauna.
4. Measure a distance of about 3 centimeters between the floor and the door.
5. It is better to use an electric oven with automatic settings. After working for 8 hours, the stove will turn off automatically.
6. To avoid accidentally getting burned, it is advisable to cover the stove with a special screen.
7. A stove-heater consumes a lot of energy, so it is better to connect them to the panel via its own cable.
8. It is important to isolate the stove-stove from the wooden covering of the floor and walls. For insulation, choose high-quality heat-resistant materials.
9. It is advisable to make the door inside from wood. If the handle is metal, you can get burned on it.
10. The booth must have a lighting fixture with a heat-resistant coating and water protection level IP54.
11. After visiting the sauna, it is necessary to thoroughly dry and ventilate.
12. The total weight of the stones in the oven should be up to 15 kilograms.
13. For doors you need to use special glass, which is sealed with rubber inserts when closed.

After the sauna on the balcony has been erected, it needs to be heated well. Open the door and turn on the heater for 60 minutes. The next day, dry for longer, up to 2 hours. Make the temperature no lower than 90 degrees. After this treatment, you can start steaming.

Materials used

Before carrying out work on installing a balcony sauna, they draw up a detailed project, on the basis of which they purchase the necessary components and materials, buy an electric heater and doors - they can be wooden or glass made of tempered translucent quartz. Electric sauna stoves can be wall-mounted or floor-mounted, have a built-in or remote control panel; products with a power of 5-10 kW are suitable for small apartment steam and infrared saunas. Along with the stove and doors, materials are purchased to set up a sauna room; for this you will need:

• Lining of a standard thickness of 12.5 or 15 mm and a width of 100 mm from linden, aspen, alder, Canadian and ordinary cedar, ash.
• Wooden beams of standard size 50x50 mm.
• Vapor barrier made of polyethylene film, foamed polyethylene foam (Penofol).
• Foil vapor barrier (the same Penofol, Isolon) or foil.
• Mineral wool, it is better to use environmentally friendly basalt; the use of polystyrene foam (foam plastic), which releases harmful components at high temperatures, is not recommended for insulation.
• Sanded boards 20 - 30 mm thick for making benches and deck chairs.
• Sections of corrugated pipes of different diameters for ventilation, electrical cable insulation, asbestos cardboard for thermal insulation of a hot electric stove.
• Copper electrical cable with a cross-section designed for the current consumed by an electric heater (about 1.5 mm2), sockets, lamps, residual current devices (RCDs) (for a current of 25 A) or differential pressure circuit breakers when the electric furnace is powered from a separate line.
• Fastening accessories - self-tapping screws, dowels, anchors, staples.

When carrying out the work, you will need the simplest household and standard construction tools: a hammer drill, a jigsaw or electric circular saw, a screwdriver, a metal level; if the work is done with your own hands, you can rent a power tool from one of the companies.

Electric heaters - varieties

Construction of a shelf for a sauna

The structure must be firmly attached so that two people can sit on it comfortably. There is no need to glue seats to the walls. The best solution is to use special racks. To save space, you can install special pull-out shelves.

Step-by-step equipment process:

1. Beams 8 centimeters thick are attached to the floor.
2. Boards with rounded edges are installed on them using galvanized fasteners. The layer of wood must be at least 5 centimeters. Boards should be installed of high quality and well polished.
3. It is important to maintain a distance of 1.5 centimeters between the boards so as not to impede air circulation.
4. The shelves are coated with a special oil coating.
5. High-quality tree species, such as linden and poplar, are suitable for the structure.

How to build?

Please note that when constructing a mini-sauna, brick and concrete coverings should be completely excluded.
Below we will describe how to properly construct a sauna. The first step is to assemble the frame. The section of the board is 60x60 cm, the distance between the beams is about 45 cm. A vapor barrier is installed between them. Next, install the insulation

Please note that in this case you cannot use polystyrene foam and polyethylene, since under the influence of high temperatures they will begin to release harmful substances that can be poisoned later. The best solution would be mineral wool. After this, the aluminum foil is mounted using a stapler

The shiny side should be on the inside. The denser the insulation, the faster the steam room will heat up. The ceiling should be thermally insulated in 2 layers, since hot air flows will be directed upward. The bayonets are closed with adhesive aluminum tape. At the very end, the structure is covered with a cladding board. You can’t rush here so as not to accidentally tear the foil.

In almost every house, the balcony walls are very crooked; to level them, the frame should be sheathed with 4 mm plywood. When installing the door, try to ensure that it does not open inward, otherwise it will be much more difficult to leave the room.

Please note that metal transfers heat well, so all metal products, including bolts and screws, can be hidden with decorative plugs

Let's look at the stages of laying floors.

First of all, you need to lay down a moisture-proof covering. Next, 25- or 40-centimeter beams are installed with a distance of 45 cm. The height from the concrete is 7 cm. Insulation is installed between the boards, which must be covered with another protective layer. The last step is installing the floorboards

Please note that a metal mount will heat up, so it is installed at the edges of the room.

After the above points have been completed, you can start constructing the shelf. Separate fasteners should be made for it so that the structure is reliable and can withstand several people.

1. Boards with a cross section of 80 mm are attached to the floor.
2. On top of them are fixed bars with rounded corners, about 50 cm thick and 1 cm in increments, so that air can circulate freely.
3. At the end, the structure is treated with special oil.

Legitimacy of the idea

After enterprising citizens began installing mini-saunas in their apartments, representatives of the housing office and the fire inspectorate unanimously banned this installation. But according to regulatory documents, such installation can be carried out.

In fact, when installing a sauna, the balcony is not structurally rebuilt. Even if a partition is made, it will not be considered a major repair. Theoretically, there are no violations. Before installing a steam room at home, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the types of documentation:

• “Architectural and planning solutions for multi-apartment residential buildings” (SP 31 - 107 - 2004);
• “Residential multi-apartment buildings” (SNiP 31 – 01 – 2003).

It is recommended to contact the Management Company for registration to obtain a list of services from which you can obtain permission to install a mini-steam room. But if the neighbors don’t mind and security measures are followed, you don’t have to collect documentation.

Fire safety

In a steam room installed in an apartment building, only an electric stove is allowed. Its power should be up to 4.5 kW. In this case, there must be a ventilation system. It is prohibited to discharge steam into the ventilation shaft inside the house, since this load was not provided for during construction. The fire inspector will also require the installation of a special dry pipe that automatically supplies water in the event of a fire. The dry pipe must be connected to the fire alarm system.

Preparation for construction

An abstract idea should always be embodied first of all on paper, that is, in terms of reconstructing a balcony. This document must meet all requirements and standards for the re-equipment of balcony structures.

Sauna drawing from above

What needs to be taken into account in terms of balcony reconstruction:

• Maximum possible load on the floors;
• Methods for strengthening a balcony slab;
• Hydro- and thermal insulation of the room;
• If necessary, arrange the roof;
• Materials that meet fire safety regulations.

Another important point is the consent of neighbors to the reconstruction. Even if the balcony looks exactly the same from the outside as it did before construction, attentive neighbors may see it as a potential danger.

All prepared papers should be taken to the BTI and city architecture, then permission from other authorities (fire departments, sanitary inspectors, etc.) must be collected. After receiving permission, construction can begin.

Advice: if it is difficult for you to collect the necessary documentation, contact the city’s construction companies.

Specialists will advise you not only on reconstruction issues, but will also draw up a plan and collect the necessary permits.

Types of steam rooms

There are several steam rooms that differ in their healing effect, operating principle, and internal design. Before choosing the type of steam room, you need to study the features of each type.

Infrared

Infrared steam rooms are cabins of different sizes with glass doors trimmed with wood. An IR radiation generator is located inside. The waves warm up the body of the steam.

Infrared steam rooms are safe for the body, since if you choose the right mode, it is impossible to overheat in them. Radiation is not harmful to health.

It is prohibited to use cosmetics in the booth, as they may cause burns on the skin.

Japanese

Baths are very different from Russian steam rooms and Finnish saunas:

1. Visiting a Japanese steam room is a complex process consisting of several sequential procedures.
2. Inside there are large barrels with warm water in which visitors warm themselves.
3. Warming up should be combined with massage, covering the body with warm sawdust.

Before visiting a Japanese bath, you must undergo a medical examination.

Finnish

The sauna has dry air, minimal humidity, and high temperature.
To make a Finnish steam room in an apartment, you need to prepare a large room. Arranging a sauna with a shower in an apartment is accompanied by difficulties in connecting communications.

Turkish

Most people like hammams due to their mild microclimate. They are characterized by low temperature and high humidity. Steam constantly enters through special channels in the walls. Requirements for arranging a hammam:

• ceilings from three meters high;
• forced ventilation system;
• high-quality vapor barrier.

Hamams are suitable for cosmetic procedures.

Russian

Classic Russian steam rooms are preferred by most bath attendants. They are characterized by low temperature, high humidity, and abundant steam. It is impossible to make a real Russian steam room in an apartment, since it requires a stove that runs on solid fuel.

Electric

A popular option for steam rooms for apartments.
They are fireproof because they do not require the use of solid fuel. The room is heated using an electric stove, which increases energy costs.

Mini

For bathing procedures, a phyto-barrel is used - a container with benches installed inside. In terms of effect and design, the design is similar to ofuro. Before use, the barrel is connected to a regular outlet and filled with water.

Choosing a steam room

Factors to pay attention to when choosing a steam room for an apartment:

• available amount of free space;
• type of fuel used;
• possibility of establishing communications.

If desired, you can place a steam room on several square meters, for example, it is popular to arrange a sauna in an apartment on the balcony.

Equipment

The walls or ceiling are ready. Now you need to additionally equip your bathhouse with everything you need. The first thing to do is install the shelves. It is made from wood. To ensure normal air circulation, make the shelves non-solid.

Photo 5. Do-it-yourself shelves in the bathhouse

You also need to build ventilation. To do this, place a ventilation hole with a valve next to the shelf so that it is convenient for you to adjust it. And build a hole near the place where the stove will be installed. As soon as you open the damper, fresh air will enter from below and exit through the hole near the shelf. This will make it easy to control the flow.

Photo 6. Ventilation hole in the bathhouse

Install the stove in the bathhouse. It is better to do the wiring for it with your own machine, from which an insulated wire will run all the way to the balcony. If you are not familiar with electricity and cannot do everything yourself, then it is better to turn to professionals. Electricity is no joke!

The walls near the stove must be equipped with sheets of non-combustible material. The same thing needs to be done with the floor. This way you will protect yourself from the possibility of a fire as a result of a short circuit or overheating of the stove. A lamp must also be installed inside the structure. It should be chosen carefully, since there will be high temperatures in the bathhouse, the lighting device must withstand all this. Don't forget about sealing.

Photo 7. Electric stove in the bathhouse

The door to the bathhouse should close tightly. You don't want heat to escape through the cracks, do you? But at the same time, it should not have latches, latch or other locking devices. You cannot close from the inside, and the door itself must open outward - these are safety requirements that are best observed, in case someone becomes ill in the steam room, but you cannot open the door.

Building a sauna on your balcony is not that difficult, you can easily do everything with your own hands, the main thing is to want to. Of course, it will only be a dry steam room, but still better than nothing

It is important to remember safety measures; you should only use a factory-made stove. If you handle everything, then you will have a place where you can relax after a hard day, and do it without leaving home

Installation of heating elements

The main heating element in a sauna steam room is an electric heater or a factory stove. If you choose an electric fireplace, the room will be heated by an infrared burner. A container for stones on top not only helps to quickly warm up the room, but also releases steam. By the way, the total weight of the stones should not exceed 15 kg - this is quite enough to warm up the steam room. The stove is connected through its own RCD on a 25A machine to a separate outlet.

Choose heating elements that are adapted to the sauna conditions and are protected from condensation. On such stoves, the terminals are usually located at the back and are protected from moisture. In addition, it is desirable for the stove to have a fireproof grate and a special tray for water. For safety reasons, the surfaces around the heater should be finished with asbestos cardboard, which has high heat resistance.

Interior arrangement

After insulating the balcony itself, we begin finishing the inside with flooring.
We do it around the perimeter of the balcony. In the steam room itself, it should be made 10-20 centimeters higher so that the cabin is always dry. The arrangement of the sauna must occur in the correct sequence:

• The first thing to do is lay the waterproofing material. Next, logs from beams are installed. About 5-8 centimeters in height in increments of 40-50 centimeters.
• Then insulation is laid between them and another waterproofing layer is laid.

• After this, the floorboards are nailed to the walls so as not to get burned while visiting the sauna. The ideal wood that will be suitable for a sauna is deciduous wood with a shrinkage of approximately 10%.
• We nail beams with a cross section of 5 cm2 onto the wall. The walls inside the cabin must be lined with plywood so that the insulation is completely adjacent to the inner surface and does not allow heat to pass through.
• A foil vapor barrier is carefully inserted into the openings between the beams. It must be laid with the reflective side facing out.

• The mineral wool should be cut so that it is 4-5 centimeters wider. This will ensure a more secure fit to the walls of the sauna.
• Next, we lay out the insulation in the space between the beams.
• Finally, aluminum foil is nailed onto the heat shield so that the reflective surface is on the inside. The joints are connected with specialized tape using metal. And lining is used as cladding.

We arrange ventilation

Often, for such an impromptu sauna, a small square opening of approximately 0.3 meters is enough. Don't forget about the plug : it is made of a wooden plank with a piece of polystyrene foam glued to it.

Installation of electrical equipment

A Finnish sauna in your own apartment must be equipped with an electric or infrared stove. An infrared oven directs heat rays directly to a person rather than to heat the air. Infrared heaters are installed according to the manufacturer's instructions for uniform heating of the entire body. Infrared waves do not create additional stress on the cardiovascular system. Sweating removes excess fluid, fats and toxic substances from the body. An ordinary electric stove with heating elements should be tightly surrounded with stones and fenced. All fastenings must be of high quality (supplied with the equipment).

The power supply to the mini sauna must be supplied by a power cable from the panel with a minimum cross-section of 4mm2. All electrical wiring must be under the casing (purchase a heat-resistant cable or place the cable in a thermostatic hose). A prerequisite is the grounding of electrical equipment and the use of an RCD. To install lighting, you should choose only waterproof lamps that are connected in parallel.

electrical equipment for sauna

To avoid getting burned on glass, it is better to cover it with protective wooden screens. All switches must be located on the outside of the sauna - the presence of plastic in the steam room is unacceptable.

Important: all heating elements must be located at a height of at least 20 cm from the floor.

You can complete your mini sauna by making a steam generator yourself using an old electric kettle, a bucket, metal corrugation and electrical tape.

Beginning of work

The first thing to do before arranging a sauna is to prepare a balcony. For this purpose, continuous glazing is performed. In this case, the wooden elements will be protected from the effects of precipitation, and the level of thermal insulation of the room will increase significantly. Some of the insulation elements are made to open.

This is followed by waterproofing the balcony. First of all, you need to cover the floor. Before laying the waterproofing sheets, the base of the balcony is leveled and treated with penetrating waterproofing. Then the power supply is introduced. On the residential side, the input is equipped with a packet switch.

Floor

The best option for insulating a balcony is the use of polystyrene foam boards. This insulation practically does not conduct heat and has good waterproofing properties. Floor insulation is carried out in the following order:

• The logs are secured to the base using dowels. They are made from 30-40 mm timber. The height of the logs must be no less than the thickness of the insulation.
• In places of fastening, waterproofing is restored using liquid sealant.
• Thermal insulation boards are laid between the joists. They can be glued to a layer of waterproofing. However, they are often left loose.
• The seams between the insulation and the joists are sealed with sealant.
• A second layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the polystyrene foam.
• The final finishing – lining – is installed.

During work, you should adhere to safety rules. After such procedures, you can begin finishing the walls.

Waterproofing a balcony with your own hands is quite simple - it is important to select the necessary materials

Walls

To insulate the walls, the same material is used as for the floor - polystyrene foam. Penofol or foam glass are also often used. To secure the insulation to the walls, a special frame is made of beams. There should be a distance of 40-50 cm between the slats. Insulation is placed in each cell. Often pieces of material are not secured at all. When insulating a large area with mats, they are secured with special nails. The insulation layer consists of the following elements:

• insulation material
• diffusion film;
• clapboard finishing.

The top of the insulation is covered with a vapor barrier. This allows you to protect the material from moisture and condensation, as well as significantly increase the service life of thermal insulation and increase the safety of the balcony walls.

Often walls are insulated with polyethylene. The rolled material is thinner than mineral wool. In addition, it has a foil surface on one side. Aluminum protection reflects heat.

Penofol is laid with foil inside. The material is secured using wooden slats, which are nailed on the outside. After the insulation is laid, the walls are covered with clapboard. A photo of such a sauna on the balcony can be seen below.

Ceiling

Ceiling insulation is carried out in the same way as walls are insulated. However, in the case of insulated, the thickness of the insulation is less. Other aspects of the technology remain the same:

• first you need to fill the frame;
• then lay the insulation;
• fix the vapor barrier, perform finishing.

Such procedures will help to reliably protect the room from heat leakage. The work is done quickly and easily. The main thing is to follow the plan.

Ventilation

An important stage is the implementation of ventilation made in the outer wall. It will ensure the outflow of steam and eliminate foreign odors from the steam room. Ventilation is installed simultaneously with the construction of the ceiling. The outlet is equipped with a plug. It is made quite dense, which ensures heat retention in the room. For the plug, a piece of foam plastic cut to fit the dimensions of the hole is usually used.

Wiring

The electrical wiring stage is one of the most critical. Electricity is a source of increased danger, and moisture can cause a short circuit.

The lighting of the steam room must be closed. It is also necessary to reliably protect it from moisture. Thermal spotlights are often used to illuminate the sauna. They have a fairly high level of protection against moisture.

To protect the wiring from short circuits, the system is equipped with a special disconnect device (RCD). If you do the wiring yourself, you should follow the following sequence of actions:

• install a panel equipped with a 25 A circuit breaker;
• Use it to route wires to electrical points.

It is worth considering that only installation of lamps can be done inside the bathhouse. Switches and sockets must be installed outside. To protect the cable, corrugated pipe should be used. Its ends are carefully sealed.