My girlfriend wants a pine cladded bathroom ceiling. I think the best way to do that is to fix a 2x1 framework to the present ceiling, then the cladding attached to the framing. This will leave a gap of approx 1.5" between the framing, which could be insulated to keep the room warmer. Would it be advisable to insulate the void? If so, which sort of insulation would be best? Thanks Alan.
Can't do any harm. I'd use 25mm polystyrene sheet. Comes as 8x4 sheets and easily cut with a knife to be a tight fit between the battens and hold itself in place. Cover with a polythene vapour barrier before fitting the pine cladding to prevent condensation. Also seal (varnish/diluted PVA) the backside of the pine to help avoiding curling. Then varnish the visible face.
Bob
Yes.
Polyisocyanurate foam = Kingspan or Celotex. The lowest conductivity of any easily available insulant, and highly fire resistant too. unlike styrene foam.. And doesn't wreck your hands and lungs, unlike rockwool.
Yes, but even more important, you need to prevent condensation in that void.
When I was in the builder's merchant a few months back looking for Celotex (or equivalent), I found they did shrink-wrap bundles of 2x4 boards (IIRC) which easily went in the boot of the car and were ideal for trimming to size and wedging between the framework for the new ceiling, which I was installing.
So, I would use one of these foil-faced insulation boards cut to fit as closely as possible into the frame. Then tape over the joints and frame with aluminium tape to make it as air-tight as you can, to prevent any moisture from getting through. The shrink- wrapped bundles only came in 50mm (I had been looking for 25mm, but decided these were so convenient I'd use them anyway). The tickness of boards you can obtain may affect the size of the frame timbers you choose to use.
Don't mount any recessed halogens into a wooden ceiling with insulation above it.
It's only fire resistant if you get boards with fire retardant. Otherwise it burns pretty similarly to polystyrene foam.
Thanks for the replies about insulation. Now to the lighting. Yes, it was going to be 4 recesssed 12v halogens. Presumably they would get too hot for the installation, so will be a fire risk? Any alternative, or way to fit them safely? Thanks Alan.
What's above the original ceiling? You would need more of a drop than you originally planned if you wanted to install low voltage recessed lighting anyway. You need at least 4 inches in a dead space gap because of the heat from halogen lamps. If you want to install the low voltage halogens, then make the drop a bit wider and leave out the insulation all together.
Also, recessed lighting will allow the warm moist air to rise into the void and the insulation would have grabbed it and held it up there. That's a recipe for dampness damage to the back of the timber cladding. And you definitely can't seal the holes around the light fittings to stop it. Leaving the holes open around the lights will allow ventilation of both dampness and heat from the lamps and so keep the dead space dry.
Back to the drawing board young man? :-)
Might not do much good though. What's above the existing ceiling? If it's a loft space and there's already 6 in. or more of insulation therein, adding another inch of EPS or PIR foam is going to make the square root of not very much difference. OTOH if the space above is cold and poorly insulated this could constitute a significant improvement.
NB lowering a bathroom ceiling might have electrical implications. A ceiling light or other fitting that was previously outside the zones might be brought into zone 1 or 2 (if brought below 2.25 m above floor level). If this applies the light must be suitable (at least IPx4, and approved by the manufacturer for use in zone 1, if relevant). Also the earth of the lighting circuit will need to be connected to any supplementary bonding required in the bathroom (unless exempt by dint of meeting the relevant 17th edition conditions).
well all I know is that celotex doesn't burn. Polystyrene does.
if you use celotex, or other fire resistant foam, you CAN use ceramic 'flower pots' that will keep the insulant from too much overheating, but you need to ditch the insulation around them, and around any LV transformers.
What you need is enough heat transfer from the hot parts to the room inside to prevent overheating.
And while you are at it try and persuade her that pine cladding ceilings are so yesterday . Get her to accept Gyproc and coving painted white .
Quite apart from the safety/flammability issues in this case, they are appalling for general lighting, and you need good general lighting in a bathroom, and they're horribly inefficient.
I like em, but have to agree.
one bathroom here has a single 60w luminaire. Its fine.
Another has 3x60W halogens. Its not.
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