Selection, installation and modification of glass doors for saunas and baths

A bathhouse is a room constantly exposed to significant temperature changes and the influence of moisture. Therefore, the selection of door structures and their installation must be approached carefully. They must comply with established safety requirements. Due to their characteristics, glass doors for saunas and baths are the most popular. Therefore, they are presented in a fairly wide range on the market.

What size bath door should I install?

Traditionally, bathhouse doors are made of wood, a material that can expand or contract depending on the level of humidity and temperature in the room. They usually open outward - this is very important for safety. A threshold 10-15 cm high must be made under the door, and a small gap of 5-7 cm is left for steam to escape. Therefore, the structure cannot be too high. It shouldn’t be wide either, otherwise the heat will go nowhere. The most optimal door dimensions for a bathhouse are 180*65 cm plus or minus 5-10 cm. At the same time, the entrance structures and door frames are made more massive than those leading to the steam room or other rooms. In this way, maximum heat retention is achieved.

It should be noted that modern doors measuring more than 2 meters high and 80-100 cm wide should not be chosen for a bathhouse. They are not suitable for her. Everything in the bath should be small - windows, steam room, doors and other details. This is the only way to save the heat emanating from the stove and enjoy full water procedures. However, there is no need to make the doors too low either. The tallest member of the family should enter the bathhouse only with his head bowed, and not bent double.

Reducing the degree of transparency of the glass sheet

Many people in the steam room are confused by the transparency of the glass door. But this inconvenience can be easily corrected, without reducing the reliability of the door unit. The glass can be painted, a special tint film applied to it, and there are other ways.

Using tint film

Before tinting, the room and the door itself must be prepared. The room is wet cleaned and the glass door panel is thoroughly wiped.

Next, the tint film is cut to the size of the canvas. In this case, an allowance of 20 mm is added on all sides of the finishing material.

Next, you need to prepare a soap solution, apply it to the glass surface and the film on both sides. The protective layer is removed from the tinting material, its adhesive side is also treated with a soap solution.

Next, the film is applied to the glass plane and slowly smoothed out. At the same time, it is necessary to remove any air bubbles that form. After applying the tint, the soap solution is removed from the surface of the canvas. This must be done carefully with a squeegee. The final stage is to cut off the excess finishing material with a sharp knife.

You can use the steam room only after the tint material has completely dried - after 3 days.

other methods

You can eliminate the transparency of glass in other ways. For example, after sandblasting, glass surfaces become matte. At a price, such a service is available to everyone today.

The list of services provided by many organizations whose activities are related to the renovation of premises includes the item - decorative spraying on glass surfaces.

If you have artistic skills, you can apply some kind of design to the glass doors. Waterproof paints in all colors of the rainbow are produced especially for painting on glass surfaces.

Pros of installation

• Plastic structures are easily installed in the wooden walls of a bathhouse.
• PVC is not susceptible to rotting or fungal attack.
• Plastic doors with glazing allow light into the steam room, which has a beneficial effect on the microclimate.
• Large selection of door colors. In addition to classic white, you can choose to decorate with wood of different varieties and shades. There are two technologies for changing color - applying a color film over the profile, or introducing pigment into PVC during production. In this case, the entire profile array is painted, but the color is uniform without simulating wood texture.
• If a design with sandwich panels is chosen, the panels can be easily changed if necessary.
• Products using a plastic profile with 5 or more chambers retain heat well, which is important for steam rooms.
• PVC does not deform from moisture.

PVC doors

A PVC door is a complex product consisting of a doorway or frame, door leaf, fittings and double-glazed windows. The plastic from which the product is assembled has a metal profile , which imparts rigidity to the structure. To retain heat, the plastic profile has a structure with cells, or so-called chambers. The air cushion in the chamber slows down the heating or cooling of the profile. The more cameras in a profile, the higher its energy efficiency. A standard PVC profile contains from 3 to 5 chambers. Profile thickness 58 mm . There are also systems with a thickness of 70 mm (recommended for use in external structures) and 90 mm (used in low temperature conditions and are present in a limited range on the market). Thus, the optimal choice would be a profile with a thickness of 58 mm .

The door leaf is also assembled from a plastic profile and differs in types of glazing.

Dimensions of doors for steam rooms

The doors for the steam room in the bathhouse are usually made lower than the entrance doors. This is due to the fact that in this room, under the ceiling, when heated, steam should accumulate in a layer of at least 80 cm. Therefore, to determine the height of the structure, you need to subtract this number from the general parameter. For example, with a ceiling height of 240 cm, it will be approximately 160 cm. The width of the opening can be anything, it all depends on the wishes of the owner. If we talk about standards, then it is usually 60-75 cm. It is worth noting that the indicated numbers are only approximate, it is not at all necessary to adhere to them.

Principles of selection and prices

Recommendations for selection:

1. For a bathhouse, it is better to choose door blocks without double-glazed windows. Sandwich panels retain heat indoors better.
2. When purchasing doors, you should additionally purchase a special key for adjusting the hinges. Sometimes it is included in the kit.
3. It is better to choose a plastic handle so that it does not heat up.

The price of a plastic door block depends on the availability of double-glazed windows and the type of fittings installed. The average cost is 3000–5000 rubles.

Where can I buy

You can buy doors for a bathhouse or steam room from one of the companies that are presented in a separate section of our website.

Few of the owners of “acres” do not plan to build a bathhouse on the adjacent territory. One of the questions that interests many people is what size bath doors should they be guided by? After all, it is clear that ordinary standards are not suitable for them, since the problem of heat preservation in this case comes to the fore.

Recommendations

Purchase Features:

1. For the entrance block, it is better to choose canvases with several sandwich panels.
2. You need to choose the location of the fittings in advance.
3. It is better to choose doors from which the paint will not peel off due to exposure to high temperature and moisture.
4. If the door has glass, it is better to choose designs with two- or three-chamber double-glazed windows.

The technical characteristics of the design can be found in the special document that comes with the door blocks.

Doors are one of the essential elements of a bathhouse. Without them it is impossible to achieve the required level of comfort. They retain steam and moisture. A modern option is plastic door leaves. They have many advantages and a low price, but are not suitable for installation between a washing room and steam room.

Dimensions of glass doors for a bath

Often, wooden doors are installed in a bathhouse - they are familiar, able to last a long time and withstand even very high temperatures and high humidity. But sometimes owners give preference to glass structures offered by various manufacturers specifically for baths. When choosing them, you should pay attention to all the parameters - the thickness of the glass, the type and model of the product, its heat resistance, the presence of mechanical damage (chips, scratches and cracks) and, of course, the dimensions.

The height of a glass door for a bath should be about 1.6 - 1.7 m, width - 60 - 80 cm. However, no one forbids the owner to install a structure of other sizes (for example, narrower or smaller). The most important thing here is to look at the thickness of the glass, it should be at least 8 mm. A thinner one will sooner or later burst or lead to deformation of the structure.

general information

Opinions on this issue vary. Some believe that, taking into account the quality of the products offered by manufacturers, first of all, samples with a high degree of insulation, there is no fundamental difference when choosing bathhouse doors in size; the main thing is that it is convenient to use.

Opponents of such a simplified approach believe that one should focus on the linear parameters of structures installed in openings, the optimality of which has been tested for centuries. The fact is that when you open a door, heat tends to come out, and the higher/wider the door leaf, the more of it will be lost. And the door to the steam room should be chosen especially carefully.

Recommended dimensions (in mm):

• Height – 1650±150.
• Width – 650±50.
• Thickness – 85±15.

And if we compare the specified data with the standard parameters of commercially available sauna (bathhouse) doors, we can see that they are significantly less than 2000 and 1000 mm (height and width, respectively). And this is understandable, given their main purpose - maximum heat conservation. Indeed, in such buildings it is recommended to make even window openings small.

And if you decide to build a real Russian bathhouse, then it is still worth taking into account the experience of your ancestors and purchasing (making it yourself) structures (especially the door to the steam room) according to the above dimensions.

But there are a number of nuances here too. Even the smallest bathhouse has some kind of layout, that is, it has not one, but at least three rooms (including the vestibule). And at the entrance to each one a door is installed. And here the question arises: is it worth purchasing the same designs for all rooms? What do experts think about this?

Self-production

We will do this option:

The task of making a wooden bathhouse door with your own hands is quite realistic, you just need a certain tool . Below is a list that gives a simple/mechanized attachment:

• saw / jigsaw;
• planer/thicknesser;
• screwdriver/screwdriver;
• quarter plane/milling machine attachment;
• sandpaper/belt sander;
• chisel or chisel;
• hammer;
• roulette;
• level;
• square;
• pencil.

If you prefer ready-made tongue and groove floor boards , then some tools will not be needed. Otherwise, you need to adjust the geometry of the boards to one standard, and then cut quarters on both sides in a mirror-like symmetrical manner:

An alternative to laying boards overlapping can be a tongue-and-groove connection (otherwise known as tongue-and-groove), but this requires a milling machine (or a finished board with tongue and groove).

The quarters are cut either with a plane (with the mentioned attachment) or with a milling machine.

Finished boards can be glued together with PVA. To compress the joints, a wedge or its equivalent is used: a frame or two stops, between which our canvas is wedged. After 12 hours the canvas is ready.

The resulting shield still needs to be secured with wedges . To do this, you need a beam, which is given a trapezoidal shape in profile, and which slightly narrows from one edge to the other. The length of the beam is 20-30 cm greater than the width of the door. There should be two such wedges.

A dovetail groove is cut under each wedge on the door . You can do this with a router and then select it with a chisel. If the wedge is not trapezoidal in profile, then the groove may not be widened. Then you can cut it with a jigsaw.

The wedges are driven into the grooves, after which a through hole is drilled at the beginning and end of the wedge for a wooden dowel - 4 dowels in total. They are hammered and trimmed. The wedges are also cut to the width of the door.

It is customary to install an oblique spacer (brace) between the wedges, which is necessary so that the door does not subsequently become deformed.

Finally, the canvas is sanded.

All that remains is to make a door frame and hang the panel on hinges or awnings. The easiest way to make a box is from ready-made box timber , where a quarter has already been selected. Or from ordinary timber, but you will have to cut a quarter yourself.

The box for connecting the planks is either edged at 45 degrees, or a tongue-and-groove design is made, or, in the most primitive case, it is simply attached end-to-end with self-tapping screws. (The ends at 45 degrees are fastened obliquely)

IMPORTANT! The sauna uses self-tapping screws only with anti-corrosion coating.

When choosing hinges, take stainless ones , preferably brass . Suitable designs are overhead and mortise. For more information about hinges, see the article about door fittings.

Useful video

Video instructions for making a traditional door:

Basic requirements for bath doors

Whatever the model or size of the doors, they must efficiently perform their assigned function of preserving heat in the bathhouse. Therefore, certain requirements are imposed on them. So, they should:

• be easy to open (so that you can quickly leave the room if necessary);
• have a threshold with a gap (for air circulation);
• be strong, not wide, not very high;
• have good thermal insulation and the ability to withstand external factors (moisture, high temperature, etc.);
• be resistant to fire.

In addition, they should not slam shut under any circumstances. Otherwise, the risk of getting burned by grabbing the handle or other parts is very high. Also, do not forget that wooden doors can burst due to the abundance of moisture and elevated temperatures. Don't risk your health! Place structures that you can open even by crawling (if you suddenly get a heart attack or something else happens).

Types of glazing of plastic doors

1. Solid . The glass unit occupies a large area of ​​the door. At the customer's request, one solid glass unit can be used, or the door leaf can be divided into two or more parts.
2. Combined . The upper part of the door has double glazed windows. In the lower part, a light-proof sandwich panel is installed in place of the double-glazed window.
3. No glazing . A sandwich panel is mounted in the standard place under the double-glazed window.

Useful tips

In order for bath procedures to bring true pleasure, in addition to the size, it is worth considering some other nuances of choosing doors.

• The tightness of the joint between the sash and the frame. Then no seals will be needed to reduce heat loss.
• The structure installed in the steam room opening must be made of heat-resistant materials. Otherwise, it will “lead” quite quickly, and the appearance of cracks is inevitable; it's just a matter of time.
• There must be a gap between the blade and the threshold. Otherwise, natural circulation of air flows will not be ensured.
• Structural elements (as well as their finishing), taking into account the specifics of the bath, should not contain toxic components.
• The peculiarity of the steam room (excessive humidity) makes it advisable to install a glass door in it. This will be much more expensive, but it's worth taking into account.

If you follow all the recommendations given, it is not difficult to choose the right door model for your bathhouse. Its material is at your own discretion, but it is still more advisable to choose structures made of wood. Good thermal insulation, environmental friendliness, reasonable cost and excellent appearance will be guaranteed.

Even a small bathhouse should have at least 2 doors: the entrance and the one that separates the steam room from the dressing room. Everyone can choose the color, shape, design of these products to suit their taste. Therefore, we will not touch on these parameters, but will talk about the length, width and thickness of the structures. It is probably not worth mentioning that the dimensions of doors for a bathhouse are very different from those installed in any other room. Since the temperature here must remain quite high, they are much smaller than usual.

Disadvantages of stopping

• Tightness . PVC structures are hermetically sealed. This complicates natural ventilation and leads to the appearance of mold in the bathhouse. It is necessary to install forced ventilation, regular ventilation, or install special grilles in the lower third of the door leaf.
• Plastic does not rot, but is susceptible to mold , especially in rooms with high humidity, for example, showers or Turkish baths.
• Installing a plastic door to a sauna is not advisable . The temperature regime of the sauna has a bad effect on the material of the sashes and frames.
• The surface of the PVC profile is damaged at temperatures above 100 0C.
• Door thresholds interfere with air exchange in the sauna; it is customary to leave a gap of at least 1 cm . Structurally, it is impossible to do without a threshold.
• Metal fittings suffer from corrosion in high humidity conditions. Regular lubrication and testing of its functionality is necessary.
• Double-glazed windows, when installed in rooms with high temperatures inside, may begin to release sealant components , which look like yellow and brown streaks inside the glass. This does not affect the functioning of the door as a whole, but it does look untidy. Such defects cannot be eliminated; the entire glass unit will need to be replaced. In this case, it is difficult to make a claim to the manufacturer, since standard glazing is not intended for use in rooms with temperatures above 100 0C.
• Door handles with locks included in the design of plastic doors contradict safety recommendations in the bathhouse . The door should easily open outward so that in the event of a fire or sudden deterioration in health, a person can easily leave the room.
• Metal door handles in the sauna get very hot.
• Due to sudden temperature changes in the bathhouse, plastic doors sag and begin to close with force.
• The appearance of PVC structures does not fit into classic baths and saunas, where preference is given to finishing with natural materials.
• The rubber seal around the perimeter of the sash is negatively affected by two factors at once - high temperature , from which they dry out, deform and crack. The second factor is humidity , which causes mold to appear.

Combined type windows

The combined type of windows involves the use of several materials in different combinations, in particular:

• wood with plastic;
• wood and aluminum;
• plastic with aluminum;
• aluminum with wood and plastic.

The combination of several materials can improve the thermal insulation properties of windows. And most often the first two combinations of materials are used.

You can combine materials in windows in this way:

• The inside of the frame is lined with wooden planks, and the partitions and the entire frame are made of plastic. Such windows appear to be made of wood from the inside. For protection and additional decoration, the wood is coated with several layers of varnish.
• The entire frame is made from laminated veneer lumber, and aluminum or plastic strips are placed on the outside using clamps to allow the wood to “breathe.”
• First, two independent frames are made - the inner one is made of wood, and the outer one is made of plastic or metal. Along the perimeter, the frames are connected to each other with special brackets, and the glazing is done with ordinary glass, and not with bags. If desired, any of the frames can be removed.

Windows made using the last two methods are suitable for installation even in a steam room, because metal and plastic are located outside.

Installation

Installation:

1. Nail the box with anchors to the wooden walls.
2. Foam the seams with polyurethane foam.
3. Install hinges and canvas on the box.
4. Hang the door leaf.
5. Adjust the door using a special key.

Installed doors

Before installing doors in a wooden frame, you need to wait until the tree has settled. The optimal period of time is 1 year.