As you’d expect, steam room installation isn’t exactly a piece of cake, but should you give up on installing a steam room in your home?
Imagine coming home after a stressful day and knowing that you can unwind in your private steam room! Yes, the process requires time, money, and effort, but it’s totally worth it, and we’ll guide you through it.
What Is a Steam Room?
A steam room is a self-contained space for washing and relaxing. It’s like a shower but with the added heat and warmth of steam rather than a continuous water flow.
Steam rooms have their origins in the Roman Thermae, Turkish Hammam, and other variations. These cultures surely understood how steam and sweat could detox the body and enhance blood circulation.
How Do Steam Rooms Work?
To put it simply, steam generators get filled with water. Powered by electricity, they boil the water until it becomes steam. Then, the steam is piped into your steam room enclosure via a steam head, giving you air with %100 humidity. That makes the room temperature between 40 and 45 degrees Centigrade.
Should You Have a Steam Room In Your House?
If you enjoy steam rooms at hotels or gyms, a steam room at home is achievable. But, undoubtedly, it costs a lot of money upfront and requires a lot of construction work, meaning that the bathroom may not be working for some time. So, this is a project we recommend for people whose houses have multiple bathrooms.
If you have the resources, a steam room is an excellent investment in your well-being, providing you with in-home spa features and increasing your home value!
What Sort of Electrical Supply Do I Need for My Steam Room?
We recommend consulting a professional, as the power requirements vary depending on the size of your steam room and steam generator. But, typically, single-phase 20A to 32A supplies are installed.
However, if you run on a three-phase rather than a single phase, that’ll change. Also, it’d be best to run the electrical cable for the steam room before installing it.
What Type of Flooring Do I Need for My Steam Room?
A steam room requires ceramic, acrylic, porcelain, or other non-porous tiles, which should enable water to run towards a drain.
When you let the steam room cool down, the steam-turned-water can drain away from the walls and seats. Eventually, this will minimise the risk of bacteria. And if you’re looking for a specific type of tiles, the most popular type of steam room flooring is ceramic tile.
How to Waterproof a Steam Room
Are you looking for the best way to waterproof a steam room? If so, the most popular wall finish in steam rooms is ceramic tiling. Also, some shower wall panels are suitable, but you will need to check with the manufacturer.
However, you should know that tile and grout aren’t waterproof enough for a steam room. So, if you install them, you need a waterproofing membrane under the tiles for the floors, walls, and ceilings.
Speaking of waterproof membranes, you can choose between a liquid and sheet-applied waterproofing membrane. The sheet systems use a sealant/glue between sheets. Sheet systems often replace other substrates you’d apply the liquid to, so you can fit in one step rather than two. They both have pros and cons, here at Roots we use both but mostly sheets as we’re mostly replacing walls and floors in our scale of work. With both systems, care has to be taken so the seal isn’t broken. For example, by screwing a shower frame to the wall and piercing the water proofing of both methods.
5 Crucial Factors to Consider Before Installing a Steam Room
Without further ado, here are 5 considerations to make before installation.
Steam Room Height and Breadth
As a rule, the height shouldn’t exceed 2.4m. Otherwise, you’ll need a powerful generator to fill the room with steam. As for the overall breadth, the room enclosure should be large enough to both stand and seat, sizes greater than 100cm x 90cm and taller than 2.1m are nice.
Steam Generator Location
Steam generators should be close to the steam room. We’re talking a maximum of about 18 metres, but the exact distance depends on your steam room model. Also, you can hide it in a closet, cabinet, attic, or basement so that it isn’t an eyesore.
Additionally, the generator can be above or below the steam outlet. But the connection pipe must be on a continuous slope to avoid water pooling and filling the pipe steam pipe.
Steam Shower Plumbing Connection
If you want to install the steam room yourself, you should still hire a licensed plumber and electrician to handle the plumbing and electrical wiring.
And remember to be as detailed about the steam shower plumbing connection as possible. To elaborate, ensure that there’s a drain line, a water line to the generator, and a steam line from the generator to the steam room. After all, you’ll need access to the steam generator for future servicing.
Heating, Venting, or Air Conditioning Devices
To put it simply, you shouldn’t install heating, venting, or air conditioning devices in the steam room. Instead, you can fix an exhaust fan, even a standard bathroom one, outside the steam shower enclosure that will extract the moist air from the area outside steam room.
Flooring Type
As we’ve detailed, you need to choose the right flooring type to build your steam room. That’d be non-porous, non-slip tiling, whether that’s ceramic, acrylic, porcelain, or others. And, of course, we can’t forget the waterproofing membrane underneath.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Steam Room In Your House?
If you’re working with Roots Kitchens Bedrooms Bathrooms, we add between £5,000 and £10,000 to the cost of a planned bathroom refurbishment for a steam room.
Can You Build a Steam Room In Your House?
Yes, you can. However, converting an existing area into a steam room is more complicated than building it from scratch. Also, it may not be as effective. To install it, the cost ranges between £20,000 and £30,000, which includes new water supplies, new drains and so on.
Tip: At Roots Kitchens Bedrooms Bathrooms, we provide steam rooms as addons to regular showers. In other words, you can have steam and a shower without taking up any extra space. We also install shower toilets and so much more.
Do You Need a Drain in a Steam Room?
Yes, the drain helps guide the water out of the room to be re-used or disposed of. It should be in a sloped area for easy water exit and big enough for the water flow. Without one, when steam turns into water, it’ll have no exit point, promoting moisture and bacteria.
Conclusion: Installing a Steam Room In Your Home
With the demanding nature of our modern lifestyle, it’s more important than ever to invest resources and time in our comfort and well-being; an in-home steam room is undoubtedly a way to do that! We understand that installation can be complex, so we’re here to help you. Give us a call on 01227 751130, visit our showroom near Faversham or email us at hello@roots.uk.