Construction of a chimney in the bath from metal or brick

Whether you’re thinking of building a bathhouse out of brick or metal, welcome to our guide on building chimneys. Any bathhouse must have a chimney to ensure adequate ventilation and the safe release of smoke and gases produced during heating or bathing sessions. A number of considerations, including cost, aesthetics, and local building codes, influence the decision between brick and metal chimneys.

Metal chimneys have a few benefits, like affordability and simplicity of installation. Usually prefabricated, they can be rapidly put together on site. They are therefore a well-liked option for people looking for a simple fix. But it’s crucial to take metal chimney longevity into account, particularly in areas with severe weather. To guarantee their longevity, regular maintenance is necessary.

Brick chimneys, on the other hand, are renowned for their robustness and classic appeal. A brick chimney needs to be built with expert craftsmanship and meticulous planning. A brick chimney’s longevity and capacity to tolerate high temperatures over time are its main advantages. A sturdy and attractive brick chimney can add years of use and appeal to your bathhouse.

It’s important to take a few things into consideration before starting your chimney construction project. Respect for local building codes and regulations is required, particularly with regard to overall structural integrity and the distances that must be kept between combustible materials. Furthermore, the design and specifications of your chimney will be influenced by the fuel type that is used in your bathhouse heater or stove.

We’ll go over the precise steps involved in building brick and metal chimneys for your bathhouse in this guide. We’ll offer advice and insights to help you make wise choices and finish your project, whether your goal is a timeless, rustic design with a brick chimney or a modern, efficient design with a metal chimney.

Material	Metal or Brick
Cost	Metal: Lower Brick: Higher

Varieties of chimneys

An exterior metal chimney housed in a bathhouse-box

The different types of chimneys are identified using a number of criteria, including:

• First of all – it is the material from which it is made. Previously, burnt bricks were often used to build a chimney. But in recent years more and more often prefers metal structures.
• Chimneys can be internal and external. The first pass through the entire room upwards, cross the ceiling, roof and go outside. The second are led out through the wall.

Metal chimney scheme

Let’s weigh all the options and assess the benefits and drawbacks of each.

By type of material

Brick

Brick chimney

Previously, burnt bricks were the only material used for this stove component due to the lack of suitable alternatives. This element appears simple on the outside, but the technology used in its construction is extremely sophisticated. Nevertheless, it remains a brickwork that defies simple explanation. It needs to be completed with specific plans while adhering to all guidelines.

Those who have checked time have the option to build a chimney. These structures are robust and long-lasting. Furthermore, the apparent benefit of this kind is the brick’s superior heat-accumulating and insulating properties. Brick can also withstand fires as a building material. And it’s crucial for a bathhouse!

This kind of chimney has one major drawback as well. Not only is it the most labor-intensive to manufacture, but the bricks’ interior surface has corners and rough edges instead of a smooth surface. They cause soot to build up on the walls, which can eventually clog the passageway and worsen the stove’s draft. The bathroom may get contaminated with smoke if it is not cleaned promptly. Even worse, if the soot ignites when the stove is heated. It will shoot sparks, and the results could be hazardous and depressing.

Metal

Zinc chimney

Installing metal chimney pipes is a lot simpler than the previous method.

Insulating material is added during the construction of a modern sandwich. It is therefore more useful than straightforward metal chimneys. It cannot, of course, retain heat like a brick chimney. Increased temperature variations may cause condensation on the chimney’s walls. A thick layer of insulation takes care of the latter issue. However, the inner wall of such a chimney is composed of metal. It lacks any edges and is nearly perfectly smooth. As a result, the smoke from the chimney almost always escapes unhindered.

Alternatives

Chimneys can be made of ceramic at times. However, you can construct a combined chimney by inserting a metal pipe into the brickwork to combine the benefits of the aforementioned options.

Occasionally, a steel casing is used to cover the ceramic pipe.

The owner’s preferences, financial situation, and skill level all influence the material selection.

Aluminum pipes or asbestos-cement are not advised for the sauna chimney.

Location of chimneys both inside and outside the structure

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By location

External

It was the brainchild of an American architect to locate the chimney on the building’s exterior wall. This chimney gained popularity quickly because it is simpler to install. It is not necessary to raise a pipe of this kind from the stove to the ceiling. It must be guided outside through the wall. It is not required to insulate the attic floor; this chimney installation is safer. The gaps that form between the roof and the pipe will not allow rain or melting snow to seep through.

Nevertheless, a significant drawback of this type of chimney installation is that metal buildings experience condensation because of the faster cooling rate.

Metal chimney outside

It needs to be well insulated to avoid this. Furthermore, heat does not enter the room through the external chimney, which results in a significant increase in fuel consumption for heating.

Occasionally, metal pipe is also utilized in the construction of an external chimney, and it is installed in accordance with standard procedure. Its exterior is made of brick. It’s a hybrid chimney.

Brick chimney outside

Internal

The sauna stove’s top to the ceiling of the entire space is covered by a metal chimney.

Diagram of the internal chimney including every node

It travels across the roof, through the attic, and up to the roof ridge. This kind of chimney has the distinct benefit of retaining heat inside the house rather than allowing it to escape outdoors. Fuel is used more sparingly and the stove retains heat for longer. The longevity of this kind of chimney is unquestionably another benefit. Naturally, this is presuming that all laws and norms were followed in its construction and that the locations of connections were continuously observed when it was in use.

One drawback is that in order to lead the pipe outside, holes must be made in the ceiling and roof.

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List of materials for metal construction

Components of a metal fireplace

• To understand what materials you need to buy in the first place you need to make a detailed drawing, where all the angles and turns of the pipe will be indicated. In such a scheme, specify the exact angles so that you are correctly matched elbows. The dimensions of the pipes are also very important. It must be sufficient for the entire height of the building.
• Purchase a couple of metal sheets of the same diameter as the pipe. They will need to be fixed on the ceiling of the sauna room and on the floor of the attic room.
• It is necessary to take care of heat-resistant materials that will be laid on the floors and protect the structure of the bathhouse from the high temperatures of the chimney pipe.
• On the roof, the pipe must be waterproofed. For this purpose, you can use adhesive sealant or a special rubber sealant.

Rubber caulk for water resistance

Composition of the stove’s components with the heating tank

Installation of metal chimney

Building the chimney pipe can begin as soon as the sauna stove is installed. The chimney is installed differently inside and outside. Let’s examine both variations.

Inside the sauna

• Most often internal chimneys go almost perfectly vertical. Individual elements of the chimney are installed on top of each other (installation "by smoke").
• Sandwich constructions are installed slightly differently.

Sandwich pipe mating technique

Chimney passageway through an insulated ceiling

An apparatus for firmly fastening pipe joints

Chimney featuring a slider-gate valve

A box designed to let the chimney go through the ceiling

The height of its walls should be more than 300-400 millimeters thicker than the slab. From the chimney to the walls of the box should be a distance of 18-20 centimeters. For its installation in the ceiling ceiling cut a hole in the form of a square on the size of the box. Fix the lower part of it to the ceiling. The bottom of the box has a hole through which the chimney pipe is passed. Fill the box with medium-grained expanded clay or mineral wool to the top as tightly as possible. In the attic room, close the box with a cover made of metal, equipped with the same hole for the pipe as the bottom.

A box containing expanded claydite

Through the attic chimney

The chimney’s passage through the roof

Use waterproofing to exit the pipe outside through the roof.

An umbrella needs to be installed atop the chimney to prevent moisture and debris from getting inside the pipe.

Umbrella preventing moisture from entering the pipe and damaging the chimney

From the outside of the sauna

• As previously written, this option of installing the chimney is done by leading it outside through the wall of the bathhouse. To use this version of the chimney was as safe as possible, it is necessary to make part of the wall with brickwork in the place where the pipe will go outside.

Metal chimney design that passes through the wall

Tee and elbow

When constructing a chimney for a bath, whether using metal or brick, careful consideration of key factors is essential. The choice between metal or brick depends on various factors including durability, aesthetics, and local regulations. A metal chimney can be quicker and easier to install, often suitable for prefabricated designs and offering good heat resistance. On the other hand, a brick chimney provides a traditional look and is durable, though it requires skilled masonry for construction. Regardless of the material, proper sizing and installation are crucial to ensure efficient smoke evacuation and safety. It"s important to consult local building codes and consider the specific needs of your bathhouse to make an informed decision between a metal or brick chimney for optimal performance and longevity.

List of materials for a brick chimney

Heat-resistant bricks are used to construct this version of the pipe, and they are joined together using a masonry composition—a dry mix used in stove and fireplace construction. An appropriate clay mortar is occasionally used. Antifungal substances will also need to be applied to the pipe. The layout is used to calculate the quantity of material.

Additionally, you’ll need spatulas, an angle, and a level.

How to make a construction from brick

Brick chimneys can have nozzles and roots. The first option is best suited for sauna stoves and is situated next to the stove.

The chimney is fixed to the main structure if the stove is originally built of bricks. The brick chimney is connected to your metal stove through the use of a metal pipe.

Using a metal pipe to connect the chimney to the sauna stove

Nuances

• Near the ceiling in the chimney is installed smoke damper, which is responsible for the draught in the stove. It also depends on the intensity with which the fuel will burn and how long the stove will keep the heat.
• To conduct the pipe through the ceiling of the attic, in the chimney it is necessary to make a flue.

Design for a brick chimney

Step-by-step construction

The chimney is laid in the same manner as the foundation.

The structure must have no windows or ledges and be level. The ledge, where the stove’s metal pipe is embedded, is the exception. The chimney is a square post that has an internal cross-section that is well-shaped. This section’s dimensions are 13 x 13 cm (in 0.5 bricks), 13 x 26 cm (in 1 brick), or 26 x 26 cm (in 2 bricks), depending on the sauna stove’s power.

• The foundation is the base of the chimney. Its thickness is the same as that of the sauna stove. They are one piece.
• The chimney is raised up to the place where the gate valve is installed. Then the chimney is put in accordance with the ordering.

Raspuska and the chimney of Poryadovka

Stages of the completed flue

Poryadovka, the "otter"

Waterproofing

Naturally, the "otter" and raspushka shield the slabs from the damaging effects of high temperatures. However, nobody removed the roof’s waterproofing. Before roofing material is applied to the roof, the brick chimney needs to be waterproofed. Typically, mastic and roofing felt are utilized for this. Apply mastic to the chimney’s lower portion first, warm it with a burner, and then firmly press the roofing felt onto it.

After that, you can install the roofing material, which has to fit the chimney precisely. Next, an apron—a decorative finish—is applied to the roof’s surface. Sealant needs to be carefully applied to all gaps. If not, moisture may get between them.

Cleaning the chimney pipe

This is best done after a rainstorm. Chimney cleaning is a crucial procedure that should never be neglected and should never be avoided. Experts recommend using this tried-and-true mechanical approach with the aid of a rasp, unique weights, and occasionally a sledgehammer and crowbar.

It is advised to remove everything from the bath and use newspapers, for example, to cover the walls, ceiling, and floor. This work is really filthy!

Cleaning the chimney with a brush is the most practical method. Once inside the pipe, it is slowly pushed upward until the soot buildup on the walls no longer acts as a barrier. The most important thing is to avoid twisting the brush as this could break it. It will only be possible to remove it partially if this occurs.

If you find small growths in the chimney, use aspen wood to heat the stove.

They carry the ash out of the chimney and produce a great draught when they burn. Strong, dry heat is a characteristic of aspen firewood. It is highly probable that resinous substances are still evaporating from the pine needles on the walls of the furnace if coniferous wood was used to heat it earlier. Aspen will completely get rid of them. Potato peelings can be used in place of aspen, as they address the same issues without being any worse. The only issue is making sure you gather the required quantity.

There are more contemporary methods of cleaning pipes in addition to the mechanical one. Their popularity is growing quickly. Chemical preparations are used to help clean the chimney. These preparations contain specific substances that, when they burn, remove soot from the chimney or loosen it so that it falls off on its own.

When building a chimney for your bathroom, there are a few key factors to take into account: metal versus brick. There are notable benefits to both materials as well as things to think about. When compared to brick chimneys, metal chimneys are usually faster and easier to install, requiring less structural support. In addition, they are prefabricated and lightweight, which can reduce labor costs and construction time.

Conversely, brick chimneys present a conventional and long-lasting choice. They are resistant to deterioration over time and fit in nicely with the aesthetics of a bathhouse. Brick chimneys can be a long-term investment that adds value to your home and performs reliably, but they also require expert masonry work and careful planning.

Take into account your unique needs and circumstances when making your choice. A metal chimney could be a good option if you’re searching for an economical and effective fix, particularly for smaller bathroom structures. On the other hand, if longevity, toughness, and a traditional appearance are important to you, the long-term cost of a brick chimney may be lower.

It’s imperative that you confer with experts or seasoned builders prior to making your ultimate choice. Based on your bathhouse design, regional building codes, and environmental considerations, they can offer insightful advice. You can make sure that your bathhouse chimney fulfills both functional and aesthetic needs by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each choice and taking into account your particular needs.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if you choose a brick or metal chimney—it’simperativeto ensure correct installation and upkeep. Your chimney will last longer with regular maintenance and inspections, guaranteeing years of safe and effective operation. When choosing between brick and metal chimneys for your bathhouse, whether you’re renovating an old one or building a new one, consider your priorities and financial constraints while ensuring a dependable heating solution for your area.