Doors for bath

 Doors for bath

Doors - the most important element of bath facilities. They serve to preserve the heat of the stove, steam and moisture inside the steam room, as well as help to maintain the optimum temperature throughout the bath, making the rest in it pleasant and comfortable. Since the canvases are operated under conditions of increased loads due to high temperature and humidity conditions, high demands are placed on their quality and performance. In our article we have tried to pay attention to all key issues related to the purchase, installation and operation of the door for the bath.

Types of designs

The concept of the door for a bath combines several types of door designs with different functional and purpose. All of them, fulfilling their specific tasks, serve the common goal - to make the bath as comfortable and safe as possible. Find out the difference between them.

Products differ in the device and are:

  • Wedge with a solid web, glued together in a micro-groove, and two wedges, which provide reliable fixation of the boards. Such an assembly option eliminates the deformation and cracking of the web due to active use in harsh bath conditions.
  • Paneled of several components - door leaf, box, rectangular, semicircular or radius trim and dobor.
  • Board, to fill the frame which is used for the choice of wooden slats, MDF, veneer. The elements forming the frame part, have multidirectional fibers, which eliminates the violation of the geometry of the door frame due to high temperatures and high humidity conditions.
Wedge
Paneled
Shield

The listed types of designs happen with a deaf cloth or combined. Some canvases are entirely wooden, while others have a window in the canvases.

According to the place of installation, external structures are distinguished with which they will equip the entrance to the building, internal for indoor premises - steam rooms, washing, waiting rooms and interior interroom for rest rooms. Street doors should be massive, strong and reliable, best with a box of iron or steel. Inside are used doors with lightweight canvas.

According to the mechanism of opening the doors are sliding and swing. For all single-door bath doors, there is an immutable rule. They must be opened from the room, and not inside it - this is a guarantee of a safe stay in the bath.

Sliding structures are found mainly in large bath complexes, where the style solution provides for their use for arranging the internal space. They are absolutely not suitable for steam rooms: With this design, instant steam leakage is guaranteed. In a modest sauna in the country, sliding-type doors just don't make sense.

Door hinges. For entrance doors there is no difference what the canopies are in them. Another thing - the products that equip the steam room.For safety reasons, they should not have potentially dangerous elements that could be burned or injured.

Based on this, for the organization of the opening in the steam room is best to use door frames, where the hinges are hidden.

Functional features

Doors installed in the steam room, are selected according to the criteria:

  • Heat resistance, fire safety, resistance to deformation. This is one of the most important qualities that are required from bath products. Canvases should easily endure difficult operating conditions and retain their original shape under the influence of humidity and high temperature. Quality designs are designed to operate in conditions of sharp temperature fluctuations.
  • Ability to effectively preserve and retain internal heat. Good doors are sealed, small in size, equipped with a heat insulator that provides minimal heat loss.
  • Wear resistance - due to the enormous load that the bath doors have to withstand in the above conditions, their strength also plays a significant role.
  • The absence of harmful fumes when heated - a visit to the bath should enhance health, and not pose a threat to it.Therefore, the heat and vapor insulation filling of the doors should be made of environmentally friendly materials that exclude the release of toxins under the action of high temperature.
  • Appearance - any owner wants his bath to be different from others in design. Installing original doors gives this opportunity.
  • Security Single-fold designs opening to the outside not only contribute to the rational use of the useful area of ​​the steam room, but also allow you to quickly leave it in emergency situations.

Outdoor

There are no special requirements for entrance doors. It is important that they provide good thermal insulation and tightly closed, contributing to the preservation of valuable heat throughout the bath. Under these criteria, any wooden or metal models presented in the manufacturers' lines are suitable.

Ordinary street doors with single doors and high threshold. In today's little-spread bath, they black-equip the entrance with double-leaf products.

The presence of an external sash on the doors is a prerequisite, as it serves to remove excess smoke.

Interior

Many modern bath complexes have a large number of rooms for recreation. Therefore, the density of door structures, which isolate rooms from each other, is of fundamental importance here, in order to limit the access of humidity to them as much as possible.

It has a negative effect on the state of entertainment systems and electrical appliances with which such facilities are equipped.

Openings

When mounting the canvas, it is placed in such a way as to leave a small gap for the ventilation gap from below. If the bath is equipped with a ventilation system, then there is no special need for this. Clearances may also be necessary for bath equipment to work properly.

When equipping modern saunas and saunas with electric fireplace systems or special furnaces, the devices require a metered and constant supply of air.

Materials: their pros and cons

Visiting the bath, we feel comfortable and relaxed, thanks to a certain temperature regime, which is created with the participation of the bath stove - once and the doors - two. Therefore, materials that are used to manufacture street and interior doors are of great importance.They are wooden (deaf), glass, combined type: glass + wood.

Which of them is better to use for installation in the bath depends on its type. The Russian bath, as well as the Finnish sauna, is allowed to be equipped with any of the listed types of products, and the Turkish (hamam) is recommended to be equipped with glass models with duralumin box.

Wood

Wooden doors in the bath is a classic. They are also found in modest country baths and luxurious state-of-the-art recreational complexes with several types of baths.

Benefits:

  • Environmental cleanliness and safety.
  • Good thermal insulation and low thermal conductivity.
  • The aroma of natural wood helps to relax, and some wood species have healing properties, which increases the healing effect of the bath room.
  • Aesthetic appearance.

Disadvantages:

  • The likely possibility of shrinkage and deformation of the canvas due to the constant exposure to steam, moisture, high temperatures.
  • Without bactericidal and antiseptic coating, wood becomes defenseless against fungus, mold and insects.

As for materials, door factories use conifers or hardwoods:

  • The linden has a low heat capacity, so with a linden door the steam room warms up quickly. Linden cloths are appreciated for useful properties and excellent aesthetic qualities. They are durable, do not crack, have a low resinous content, light honey aroma and a nice looking color.
  • Aspen. It is considered a soft, easy-to-process, relatively inexpensive material. Aspen products have a low content of resinous substances and pleasant colors in delicate natural tones. Cons: the ability to darken over time and a predisposition to tree diseases.
Linden
Aspen
  • Alder, whose healing properties have made it one of the most sought after materials. Under the influence of high temperature, the usual color of the canvas is replaced by a beautiful ruby ​​shade, which gradually disappears when the door begins to cool.
  • Larch. Cloths of it have a high density, good moisture resistance and excellent decorative qualities.
  • Pine - durable, moisture resistant, with excellent resistance to fungus.
Alder
Larch
Pine
  • Expensive products are made from African oak Abash - light, durable, heat-resistant wood with low resin and Canadian cedar very beautiful chocolate color and with a stunning aroma.
  • When self-manufacturing doors, the base is made of pine flooring, and to give them a beautiful appearance and strengthen the structure, cladding is used for cladding.
Oak
Oak - Abash

Of metal

Iron doors are excellent for organizing the entrance to the bath. They are durable, reliable and protect against unauthorized entry. Compared to iron, steel products have higher strength characteristics and increased resistance to external factors.

To increase their functionality, you can use insulation, and the attractiveness - lining with eurolining or wooden slats. In this case, the metal outdoor door will provide good thermal insulation, which is never superfluous in the bath. Minus metal doors without finishing - risk of freezing in the cold to its surface.

Many people like to jump out on the street after the steam room to breathe or dive into a snowdrift.Returning back, you can inadvertently touch the ice sheet and freeze yourself at the moment. There is little pleasure here.

Plastic

If the issue of security is not a matter of principle, then the front door may be plastic. Considering that it is not at all necessary to equip the entrance with a white structure, but you can choose an aesthetic solution with imitation of wood texture. To understand that this is plastic, you can only touch. Another plus is the low price. Public baths are often equipped with low cost PVC doors that are resistant to steam, moisture and mold damage.

Minuses:

  • Easily hacked.
  • Installation, by definition, is not possible if the premises are stylized antique or their design is designed in ethnic style.

According to many bath attendants, the door of PVC - a sign of frank bad taste.

Glass

The use of 8mm tempered glass allows you to make light, elegant and durable doors. Steadily high demand for glass models due to their excellent performance characteristics:

  • High heat resistance in combination with excellent moisture-proof properties.
  • Increased strength and safety performance. Possible destruction of the web eliminates harm to health, since the fragments do not contain sharp edges.
  • Vibration resistant. Indicators of strength at the fracture of tempered glass are five times higher than normal.
  • Increased impact resistance.
  • Good light transmitting and light absorbing abilities.

A few more arguments for their purchase:

  • They weigh relatively little, so they are easy to open.
  • Attractive look, preserving the aesthetics of the appearance during the entire service life.
  • They guarantee minimal heat loss by equipping the cloths with a silicone seal that ensures a tight fit to the door frame.
  • Just installed. They have a universal door frame, due to which, during installation, you can choose which way the door will open - left or right.
  • Trouble-free maintenance. Care is reduced to periodic processing detergent compositions.
  • They are distinguished by a variety of textures, colors, decor, which expands the possibilities of choosing the desired model.

Individual manufacture of doors provides a weighty advantage for customers - this is an unlimited choice of design paintings. When buying a glass door, you can choose a model with a transparent, matte or tinted canvas.

Their main disadvantage is the high cost, although it cannot be called unreasonable, given the impressive list of advantages.

From lining

Lining - another available material for the manufacture of bath doors.

Benefits:

  • Excellent sound insulation properties.
  • Durability and resistance to external influences due to the impregnation of protective compounds.
  • Resistance to deformation, damage by mold and fungus.
  • Unique visual appeal, thanks to the never-repeated natural pattern of the tree.

Alder, lime and cedar panels are ideal materials. Sauna doors of them quietly withstand high temperature and humidity conditions, emitting a mixture of useful phytoncides when heated.

Regardless of the degree of heating of the steam room, the probability of getting burned on products made of lining is zero.

Manufacturing Standards

Entrance doors come in all sizes,taking into account the individual features of the architecture of bath structures. The classic version is exterior doors with the size of 1800x650 mm and a mandatory high threshold.

For washing

Doors for washing have the usual dimensions, although sometimes their width is smaller to prevent the spread of moisture, necessarily increased in this compartment. The recommended width of the door to the sink is 0.60 cm.

Be sure to take into account the requirement of resistance to moisture. When choosing doors from an array, need to leave a ventilation gap - the gap from the bottom of the door leaf to the door frame, as already mentioned. Ordinary interior doors have a gap of 2 to 3 mm, while mounting the door for washing from below leaves at least 5 mm, otherwise the swollen canvas will jam when closed and opened.

For steam room

In the steam room, clubs under the ceiling accumulate accumulations of steam. This layer has an average thickness of 0.6-0.8 m. Therefore, it is necessary that between the lintel - the upper door edge and the finishing ceiling there should be a pocket of 0.6-0.8 m.

The optimum door height is 1.6 m. High threshold is required. Its height should be about 18-20 cm, To successfully solve several problems at once:

  • Restrict access to cold air when the steam room enters and exits.
  • Prevent drafts.
  • Acting as a hedge against the upper edge of the door: when we step over something, we automatically bend down lower. That is, thanks to the threshold, we avoid a possible injury.

Now about the width of the doors for the steam room. Regardless of the fact that most sources call the standard sizes 700x1900 and 800x1900 mm, there are other opinions regarding the width of the canvas. Many craftsmen are advised to install wide doors, and, interestingly, it is much wider than the standard, recommending 900-1000 mm and even more for a box. For example, if the door is 1600 mm high, then with a width of 1300 mm it will be very convenient to enter, especially when it is necessary to bring in some equipment.

It is better to refuse non-standard 2-meter structures, which are produced by foreign factories.

In a steam room, it is important to take care of steam, not to mention the precious heat, which is facilitated by the small size of windows and doors.

Location

Traditionally, the bath house has a washing room, a waiting room, a steam room, and many modern baths also have a swimming pool.When arranging apertures, they are guided by the principles of safety, heat saving and usability of doors not only inside but also from the street.

So, summarize everything said in the article about the installation of door structures in different rooms:

  • Street - builders recommend that the entrance door be oriented to the south in order to minimize the influence of adverse weather conditions. So it will be less disturbed by rain, snow drifts, gusts of wind. Requirements for the door itself - reliability, durability, protection against burglary, ideally - good thermal insulation, which is easily solved by warming and facing the canvas.
  • Interior - It makes sense to install them in the presence of additional rooms - showers, rest rooms. You are aware of the main requirement for them - density, to limit the access of humidity. Making paintings should harmoniously complement the interior, so try to eliminate contradictions in style and color.
  • In the sink - standard doors will fit here, because the property of heat preservation is not as important here as in the steam room. The same applies to the waiting room. In the absence of a ventilation system, remember the need for gaps if the door is solid.An alternative, albeit more expensive option - glass structures with a lot of practical advantages, if you are not confused by the price of the issue.
  • On the pediment of the building Good doors are just as important. Since their size is arbitrary and depends on the design features and dimensions of the gable itself, it is possible to order them or make them yourself from an inch cut board. The recommended box size is 1050x900, and the canvas is 940x790 mm.

Tips for choosing and installing

Recommendations and tips on the organization of openings:

  • In the washroom and steam room it is best to put the wedge doors, which is considered a classic. Such fabrics guarantee excellent thermal insulation and lack of heat loss. Can be deaf or with a window.
  • Massive exterior doors - this is the best option, because it guarantees reliable protection against burglars. Excessive massiveness of the canvas at the inner doors is not only inappropriate, but also dangerous, as it makes it difficult to exit in the event of a fire or sudden health problems. When counting for seconds, any delay can cost a living.
  • Doors for the steam room with metal handles - a gross violation of safety rules and a potential threat to health.It is permissible to make only sheds of metal, while they must be treated with anti-corrosion compounds.
  • Safety fittings - wooden, ceramic, glass, plastic, that is, made of materials that exclude strong heat, and hence the possibility of burns. Glass products must be equipped with 3-4-element magnetic latches - they remain operable in any situation.
  • Use as an antiseptic varnish, varnish, paint for processing the inner surface of the canvas entails two negative points. Such coatings create a barrier that slows down the natural absorption of moisture by the tree, and release toxins under the action of high temperature.

What to choose: wood or glass?

The ideal material for the bath is a tree. The best option in terms of functionality and efficiency is the door of lime. Although many bath attendants agree that the glass door in the Russian bath copes with the solution of all important tasks just as well.

Its advantage over wood is the complete lack of response to moisture. Roughly speaking, a wooden canvas has two states: shrunken and swollen,the third is intermediate, which does not change the essence: constant transformations provoke the formation of cracks, contributing to the release of steam and an increase in heat loss.

After analyzing the reviews, the vast majority of users are satisfied with the purchase of glass doors, despite the price. Some even use them as a hygrometer to determine the humidity in the steam room. Leaders in the production of glass models - Estonia and Finland, excellent quality will delight the products of the Finnish brand Harvia. Although in the lines of Russian companies there are also quite a few decent options.

How can I seal?

Good bath doors are characterized by a combination of maximum tightness with low thermal conductivity. Hermetically sealed glass models correspond to these requirements, but a simple wooden product that “works” in the shrunk-and-dried-up mode cannot solve such problems. Therefore, we can not do without insulation. Neglecting the compaction of the canvas, one should be prepared to increase heat loss in the steam room by 60%, because due to the unheated windows the room loses heat only by 20%, and 20% goes through the ceilings and floors, and poorly insulated doors provide the rest of the heat.

Only an eco-friendly, moisture-resistant, vapor-permeable material is suitable for the role of a bath door seal. The choice is most often made in favor of natural felt, basalt wool, ecowool, foil-insulated materials - materials with good "breathing" properties.

Popular sealing methods include:

  • Equipping the canvas with a thermal frame with a felt insulation material + cladding made of linden. This is the simplest option.
  • The door's perimeter is sealed with Energoflex - a soft tube that sews sewer pipes. If the tightness of the fabric is badly damaged, then an additional frame is formed or a coating is made of foil-insulators.
  • Creation of thermal curtains at the entrance: upholstered with felt + curtain of reinforced leatherette or tarpaulin. This is the most accurate way.
  • Upholstery felt + insulation roller along the edges of the canvas + lathing + cladding with lime clapboard. It turns out not only durable, but also aesthetically pleasing.

All of these solutions can be implemented on their own.

External design canvas

Doors in the bath, like structures in houses and apartments, also participate in the formation of the interior and can act as style-forming elements of the bathing space. And the decor of paintings plays here a significant role.

Wooden crafts.Artistic carving is used to decorate wood webs - this is the privilege of exclusive products to order. Budget imitations are trying to compete with carved solid wood doors, but real connoisseurs of woodcarving are unlikely to be interested. Although the prices for carvings made of expensive woods (oak, cedar, abasha) are simply fabulous. Home craftsmen decorate doors with patterns of slats, three-dimensional panels and carved decor that are no less beautiful than those of factory-made counterparts.

Paneled doors of solid larch or antique pine in the appropriate design of the bathing space look simply luxurious, giving the impression of expensive antiques, which adds exclusivity to the interior and emphasizes the status of the owner. Artificial aging of the canvas is an effective way of individualizing the tree by creating a unique pattern by brushing, staining, patinating, and scuffs, which are played up with different gradations of color.

The richness of larch texture is emphasized with varnish.

Glass models. In the lines of red glass doors, models with a pattern deserve special attention.Monophonic or color drawings on canvases are created with the help of various unique technologies - diamond engraving, sandblasting, silk-screen printing, which allow you to create drawings of any complexity with geometric, abstract, floristic themes.

This is a great opportunity to diversify the design of a bath or sauna, and a mandatory bonus for owners is the aesthetic pleasure from their contemplation.

For more information on how to choose a quality door for a bath, you can find out by watching the video below.

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Information provided for reference purposes. For construction issues, always consult a specialist.

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