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Summary: Steam room is a good way of detoxification. Steam room provides a healthy environment for reducing fatigue; moreover, it is a very refreshing way of getting rid from stress. Steam helps in the release of anxieties and tensions. If one has a steam room installed in his/her home, then he/she may not necessarily head towards the gym to spend some time in the steam room. One can always build the steam room in his home as per his requirements or could get a pure built or company manufactured steam room as well.
Question: This is one of the most frequently asked questions: I wanted to get a steam room installed at my home. What measures should I take so that the steam room installation is a success and I don't have to come across any water related problems like water vapors? What kind of door would be sufficient? Nate B, Lexington, NY
Answer: That's a very nice question. Well, steam does not get along well with wood and there may be wood rot, so I would suggest you not to have a wooden door to close the steam room and even the subfloor should not be made up of wooden material.
Technically speaking, steam is nothing but water vapors, hence so should always be ensured that there are no water vapor related problems in your steam room. The water vapors, after condensation, readily change to the liquid state. Since the steam is hot, the vapors eventually condense to warmer surfaces; it is quite similar when the vapors get added to the mirror after taking a hot shower.
Construction of a healthy and successful steam room does not require too many considerations, however, one must consider that the water vapors within the steam room condense on the floor of the steam room and run down the water pipes through the steam room, once they condense. If some steam exits the steam room, then it must be vacuumed as it can create a rather humid environment in the house and must be vented through the home roof. A steam room should not be located where a wall tends to be the exterior wall of the home as it can raise serious water related issues later on.
In regards to the areas concerned about the floor of the steam room, as told before, wooden floor must not be used as wood may rot eventually. It is always advised not to use wooden floors in the steam room because wooden flooring would eventually wear out with time; not only making the place look ugly but also as the wood would rot as it remains in contact with water for longer periods of time. For the flooring, Ceramic tiles can be considered for the entire steam room including the area of the floor. You should also make sure that there is a powerful drainage system within the steam room. Apart from this, a membrane shower-pan liner is also suggested which can connect to the drainage so that it holds the water vapors and release them in the drainage.
One more important thing is to install a suitable vapor barrier which meets the ASTM E 1745 measures and standards. The vapor barrier protects any wood used in the house, be it wooden doors or wooden floor. Just, a large piece of vapor barrier may be installed on the ceiling or on the walls of the steam room. The vapor barrier then captures any water vapors returning to the drain line.
It is highly recommended that one must conduct proper research and have the full knowledge of a steam generation machine before starting off with the steam room project. The steam generator manufacturers follow a very specific and brief installation procedure which ensures that just the right amount of steam is generated for the steam room. Also, the steam room must be measured very precisely, perfectly and according to the steam unit that one purchases.
The height of the steam room’s ceiling must not be more than 8 feet and it would be great if the ceiling of the steam room is made in a way that it slopes a little in order to make sure that the vapors do not fall on the person relaxing in the steam room. A slope of 2 inches per foot is generally sufficient. All the portions of the steam room must be covered with ceramic tiles or any other waterproof materials.
The steam must not be let to exit the steam room and settle on anything else outside. Normally, in gymnasiums and health clubs , the building is built with the use of treated galvanized steel which can handle the liquid water much better than the wood that is mostly used in residential homes.
If one doesn’t wish to build the steam room under his supervision, he may go for a pre-fabricated, company manufactured steam room installed in his home. This may be a bit costly but it saves time and connects to the drain of the floor.
The steam room must be built with a sealed door that would not let the steam to pass out of the room during operation. On closing the room, the steam begins to form slowly in the steam room. If the air from the home is made to pass in the steam room, it may take more time for the steam to be formed as the steam tends to precipitate and get mixed with the air resulting in a net slower formation of the steam in the steam room.
It is also important to keep in mind the location of the steam head located inside the steam room. One must avoid crowded steam rooms as number of germs can be spread inside the steam room. People with health problems must not use the steam room without the permission of a doctor. Also, all proper conditions must be dealt with before building a steam room so that the steam room project becomes a success.
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