Do-it-yourself glass door installation in a bathhouse and sauna

When arranging modern baths, glass door structures are increasingly being used. Glass goes well with wood and is not afraid of moisture and significant temperature changes. They are installed both in the shower and directly in the sauna. In this case, it is possible to independently install a glass door in a steam room without involving a specialist.

Installation of door structure

Installing door blocks in a bathhouse with your own hands will significantly save the cost of its construction. But for this it is necessary to comply with certain rules and requirements for the installation of such structures.

Marking

Installation of any structure begins with the design and marking of the site for its placement. The size of the glass door itself, which will be installed in the steam room, is preliminarily determined. This stage must be taken quite seriously. Not only its future service life, but also the retention of heat in the room depends on how the door is installed.

To measure the parameters of the door block, a construction tape is used. To the data obtained, an additional 15 cm is added, which will be needed to install the guides of the structure.

After taking measurements and calculating the necessary parameters, appropriate markings are made in the doorway. Smooth lines are applied on both sides using a ruler or staff. Their horizontalness is checked with a building level.

After marking is completed, it is necessary to place the door leaf in order to check the correctness of its application and, if necessary, make adjustments. It is also important to consider the gap between the door block and the opening. The distance between them should be at least 5 cm.

Fastening the guide elements

For glass doors in the steam room, two guides are used. For wooden panels, one element is enough. This point must be taken into account. Also, when installing a glass door, it is recommended to install rollers at the bottom of the product. This will give the canvas stability when moving.

The guides can be attached in several ways. But in both cases, installation is carried out clearly along a drawn horizontal line. When moving the sash, there should be nothing in its path. If the guides need to be attached to a wooden base, then self-tapping screws can be used. If the walls of the opening are made of brickwork or concrete blocks, you will have to use dowels. In this case, holes are first made in the base using a hammer drill.

It is not recommended to use dowels from kits: such a connection will not be highly reliable. It is better to purchase plastic separately, and for it screws with a cross-section that is several millimeters larger than the cross-section of the plastic.

Next, the carriages are assembled, the fastening bolts are screwed into them and installed on the guides. It is not recommended to press them too hard. To more securely fasten the glass sheet, it is additionally necessary to use brackets, the number of which must correspond to the number of rollers.

The next step is to install the door leaf into the upper guide carriage. The product is inserted into special grooves, after which it is fixed with fastening bolts, with the help of which the position of the blade is immediately adjusted.

When installing glass doors in a steam room, it is important to use paranitic gaskets to press them. Therefore, when purchasing a product, you must pay special attention to the presence of this element in the delivery set. It is also worth considering the density of paranite. It is recommended to change very soft material, otherwise the fabric on such pads will not last long.

After attaching all structural parts and performing preliminary adjustments, it is necessary to check the correct installation. For this, a building level and plumb lines are used. Only after the structure has been completely leveled can fittings and additional decorative elements be installed.

General requirements for canopies

The main difference and advantage of glass models is their transparency. Such structures are installed at the entrance to country houses, shopping and office centers. Glass systems are popular in apartments; they are suitable for bathrooms, baths and saunas. The products are also in demand in furniture production. Loops are the main element that holds the transparent fabric. Of course they must be strong.

But besides this, they are subject to the following requirements:

1. External attractiveness. Since glass doors come without a frame, if the door is completely transparent, the hinges must not be too large and look nice from any side. The fittings should not visually weigh down the canvas, otherwise the whole meaning of the design will be lost.
2. Protection. Metal elements should not scratch the sash. To do this, pads made of polymer materials are usually installed under the canopies. Also, additional glue can be used for maximum fixation.
3. Possibility of mounting without holes. If the door leaf has a frame made of plastic, wood or metal, then there are no problems with fixing the fittings. In the case of frameless models, awnings are sometimes secured using clamps. In this case, no holes are drilled.

For the manufacture of doors, the most durable types of glass are used, such as triplex or tempered material, but they also do not like drilling after processing. All technological holes for canopies are made in the doors at the stage of their production, in the conditions of the enterprise. This reduces the risk of material cracking. To make holes, special drills are used that are coated with diamond dust, as well as cooling lubricant.

Reducing glass transparency

The transparency of the door leaf in the bathhouse confuses many. But this drawback can be easily corrected without reducing the reliability of the door structure. To do this, you can tint the transparent surface, paint it, etc.

Film tinting

If you decide to cover the glass panel of the door block in the sauna with a special tinting film, the room and the structure itself must first be prepared. To do this, wet cleaning is done in the bathhouse, and the glass surface is thoroughly wiped with a damp rag.

Next, the material is marked according to the dimensions of the canvas. Additionally, you need to add 2 cm for the allowance.

Before sticking, the tint film on both sides and the surface of the base are sprayed with a pre-prepared soap solution. Next, the protective layer is removed from the film and the adhesive surface is also moistened with a soap solution.

The finishing material is applied to the glass surface and slowly smoothed out while simultaneously removing any air bubbles that form. Next, a solution of water and soap is removed from the surface of the film using a squeegee. Excess material is cut off with a sharp knife.

The tinting film must be allowed to dry completely for up to 3 days.

Other options

There are other ways to eliminate the transparency of glass structures. For example, using a sandblasting unit, glass can be made matte. Today everyone can afford the cost of such work.

If you have the skills to draw on glass, you can apply any image to the door leaf yourself. Especially for such purposes, manufacturers of paints and varnishes offer a wide range of colors of waterproof paints.

Many companies involved in the renovation of residential and non-residential premises offer decorative spraying on glass door blocks.

Choice

As soon as the parameters are taken, we go to the selected manufacturer and order windows. You will have to select the following window design features:

• valve type;
• accessories;
• fastener

There are 2 types of fastening - through the frame and on the supporting reinforcement. In the first case, the window is mounted in the mounting plane, and in the second, it is necessary to install reinforcement during the production of the frame. It is believed that for self-installation it is better to choose the second method, since this is less likely to damage the structure. However, keep in mind that the weight of the window will increase significantly, which means it will be extremely difficult to handle alone. In this case, be sure to get an assistant. If you decide to give preference to the first option, be prepared to disassemble the double-glazed window.

Advantages of glass doors in a sauna

Before installing a glass door in the steam room, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the advantages of such a product.

The glass door block will allow dim diffused light into the steam room. This will help create the most relaxing atmosphere in this room for relaxation.

Through the transparent canvas, you can monitor the condition of people in the steam room and, if necessary, provide first aid in a timely manner.

The material itself, if not deliberately destroyed, has a fairly long service life.

Glass panels are easier to care for than wooden structures. It is enough to periodically wipe them with a damp cloth to remove dust and other contaminants. In this case, you can use any household chemicals.

Glass, unlike wood, does not rot or deform when exposed to moisture and temperature.

The nuances of replacing double-glazed windows

Plastic windows are very popular. They protect the room well from cold and wind, and retain heat well inside the room.

It is important to know how double-glazed windows are installed, because its correctness determines whether the window will function as planned. If the glass unit is damaged, it is quite possible to replace it yourself

In a wooden frame

The nuance of a wooden frame for installing double-glazed windows lies in the method of fastening the glazing beads. The glazing beads themselves look normal, but instead of a rubber seal, sealant is used in wooden windows.

When dismantling the package, remove the glazing beads and then remove the old sealant. The installation procedure, on the contrary, begins with the application of sealant, after which the glazing beads are installed.

From the instructions described above, it is clear how to change ordinary glass in a double-glazed window; however, you will not be able to replace stained glass yourself for the following reasons:

• often stained glass windows are installed from the outside, so to dismantle the package with a stationary sash you will have to hire a tower or use scaffolding;
• high-quality replacement of glass in a double-glazed window is possible only in a stationary workshop;
• color selection also needs to be done in the workshop to avoid tonal differences between adjacent glasses in the frame.

Disadvantages of glass doors in a bathhouse

At the same time, the glass door to the steam room, like structures made from other materials, is not without its drawbacks.

Ordinary glass is a very fragile material that must be handled with care. It also has high thermal conductivity.

But for door blocks installed in saunas, a special material with a thickness of 8 mm or more is used, which has been pre-hardened. Therefore, such structures can be considered practical and quite reliable, which are difficult to break. The main thing is to avoid strong impacts with heavy objects. And the thermal conductivity of tempered glass is much lower than that of ordinary glass.

Another disadvantage is the high cost of the products. But it is justified by quality, reliability and long service life.

Mortise hinges

Drilled or mortise hinges are a more reliable installation method and should be chosen when it comes to massive panels. For them, at the stage of cutting glass before it is tempered, all the necessary holes are made. Making them yourself in canvas is quite problematic: at the slightest stress, the material can burst. If the awnings are fixed in this way, then the rest of the fittings (lock, handle) will have a similar fastening. This is the best option for doors that have a frame and glass inserts, entrance products, and panels with a thickness of more than 10 mm.

The main advantages of this fastening method:

• the mounting location is clearly defined;
• fixation is the most durable and reliable;
• the load is distributed evenly across the canopies;
• there cannot be any displacement of the loops.

The disadvantages of mortise fittings include the fact that it is difficult to install it yourself; you cannot make a hole without a special tool. If the holes need to be large, then they can be made on a machine. In the case when the blade cracks during the drilling process, but there is no way to fix it. Therefore, all holes for installing mortise fittings must be provided by the seller (manufacturer) of the door.

Recommendations for purchasing glass door structures for the steam room

When purchasing door blocks with glass inserts for a bath, first of all you need to pay attention to the thickness of the glass sheet. It should not be less than 7 mm so that the glass does not break from the slightest accidental impact with any object.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the material from which the door frame is made. It must be made of deciduous trees. It is not recommended to buy doors for a bathhouse using coniferous wood. Under the influence of a sufficiently high temperature in a steam room, resin will be released from the wood, and accidentally touching it can damage the skin.

It is also important to pay attention to the material used to make the door fittings. It should not get too hot so as not to burn your body. And there should be no gaps in the door structure through which heat will escape from the steam room.

The best manufacturers

There are dozens of hinge options on the market suitable for use with glass structures, but not all brands are trustworthy. The highest quality fittings of this type are made in EU countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Italy.

Among them we can highlight Dorma, a German company and a recognized market leader. Italian Metalglas is also among the leaders. Among the popular brands are such manufacturers from Germany as WSS, Paul + Sohn GmbH. Russian companies are represented by the brands Atlantic, Kinlong, and Orman.

Compliance with safety regulations

The selection and installation of a glass door to the sauna should be carried out taking into account safety precautions. This applies to both the characteristics of the material and the design. It is recommended to purchase thick glass (from 7 mm) so that it cannot be damaged by mechanical impact. A hardwood box is preferred. If the structure is made of coniferous wood, this can be dangerous - when heated, resin will begin to be released that can burn human skin.

Also pay attention to the material from which the fittings for the glass doors to the sauna are made. Handles and other elements should not overheat so as not to cause burns when touched.

Photo No. 5: fittings for glass doors

Standard sizes

Doors for baths in a store

The main inconvenience associated with non-standard dimensions is the price of the product. In addition, it must first be made to order. It’s much easier to come to the store and buy something ready-made.

In principle, there is no significant difference between the doors in a bathhouse, residential or public place. The standards for them are the same, and all the nuances relate only to high humidity and temperature changes, which are characteristic of baths, but this is a separate topic.

Previously, it was necessary to focus only on GOST, but now, if it is possible to order products from abroad, you need to take into account the sizes of bath doors according to Western standards

According to GOST

Let's start with the fact that inside the bathhouse you can install doors made of wood, glass and plastic. However, wood in this regard turns out to be decisive, because companies that work with plastic are ready to make any size of bathhouse door, and glass models do not differ in size from standard wooden ones.

Wooden

The regulatory document according to which doors for residential and public buildings are manufactured is GOST 6629-88.

Below are two plates that give the width and height of the door leaf without the frame in millimeters, and at the intersections of the rows and columns - the designation of the dimensions of the doorways in decimeters.

ATTENTION! The opening is quite significantly larger than the size of the canvas - 10 cm.

Table 1. Wooden doors for a bathhouse: dimensions of glazed panels

Table 2. Dimensions of blind panels

According to European standards

In general, the standard dimensions of a bathhouse door can be specified in three ways: the door leaf itself without a frame, with a frame, and the size of the light opening. However, there is nothing difficult in independently calculating the entire trinity, knowing one of the values ​​and how much less or more the other values ​​are, because the opening and the box are larger than the canvas by constant amounts.

Table 3. Interdependence of the opening, frame and leaf