Floors in the steam room with their own hands. Repair of the floor in the bath: replacement, installation, useful tips. Prices for roofing material

The device of floors in a bath is one of the most important stages of construction. The floors in the bath can be wooden or concrete. In this article we will look at how to make the floor in the bath with your own hands. The article describes in stages the installation of a wooden floor in a bath of two types: leaking and non-leaking, as well as the installation of a concrete floor.

Wooden floor installation

As already written in the first part, laying a wooden floor in a bath will require 25 pcs. boards 50 mm thick and 150 mm wide. For laying floorboards, it is necessary to lay logs from a bar 150x150 mm (200x200 mm) or logs with a diameter of 14-18 mm.

Wooden floors can be of two types - leaking and non-leaking.

Leaking bath floors

Leaking floors- these are floors when water flows into the cracks between the boards and goes into the ground under the bath.

The advantage of leaky floors over non-leaking floors:

• the device of such floors is less costly in financial terms;

• low labor intensity of work on the device of such floors.

The disadvantage of a leaky floor over a non-leaking floor is that it is a cold floor. The device of a cold floor in a bath is advisable to do in the southern regions of the CIS.

Leak-proof bath floors

Leak-proof floors- this is when water flows down the floor into a specially made hole and collects in a sump and flows out of the bath through a drain pipe. Such floors have a so-called "black floor" and their installation is currently more common than the installation of leaking floors.

The advantage of non-leaking floors over leaky floors is that such a floor is warm, as it has a "black floor" and a layer of insulation. The disadvantages include the fact that the installation of such floors is more labor intensive compared to the installation of leaking floors - you need to make a floor slope, "black floor", drainage, etc.

Preparation of the base for a wooden floor

The construction of a wooden floor in a bath begins with the laying of floor logs from solid pine or larch, on which boards are attached. Floor boards are also better to choose from the same wood as the logs. The floors in the bath should be sloped so that the water flows in a certain direction. To do this, it is necessary to lay the log not at the same level, but with a difference, which forms the angle of inclination of the floor in the bath.

Note: for leaking floors, a floor slope is optional.

Logs should be laid at the smallest distance from one wall of the bath to another. If the bath, as in our case, has equilateral walls - 4x4 m, then the logs can be laid without taking into account the distance between the walls.

Logs laid in the transverse direction to the water drain in the bath floor

The only thing to do is to determine the direction of water flow if the floors in the bath are not leaking. It is necessary to lay the logs in the transverse direction relative to the water flow.

In order for the logs to have sufficient rigidity and not to bend under the load exerted on them, support chairs must be made in the center of each log. Support chairs can be made of wood, brick or concrete (monolith).

If the support chairs are made of brick or wood, then you need to make a concrete support platform under them, the thickness of the platform must be at least 20 cm, it must be reinforced with at least a chain-link mesh. From the support, the platform should protrude at a distance of about 5 cm on each side.

The design of the support platform under the lag

Under the base of the site, you need to dig holes 40 cm deep, tamp the bottom and edges. At the bottom of the pits, fill the sand with a layer of 10 cm and carefully compact it, spilling it with water. Lay a layer of about 15 cm of large rubble or broken brick on top and tamp it down just as carefully.

The composition and dimensions of the layers of the support platform under the log

Make formwork from edged boards and install it in a pit - the edges of the formwork should protrude above the ground by at least 5 cm, make waterproofing from roofing material or roofing felts along the edges.

After the formwork is installed, you can start preparing concrete. To prepare the concrete mix, you will need - sand, small gravel or gravel, cement and water. The preparation of the concrete mixture can be done in the following proportions:

• 1 part cement;

• 3 parts sand;

• 5 parts of small crushed stone or gravel.

When the cement mixture is ready, it must have a consistency that will allow the concrete to be compacted - i.e. the concrete mixture must be thick. Having laid the first layer of concrete in the formwork - about 12-14 cm, it must be carefully tamped and a piece of mesh - chain-link, pre-cut to the size of the formwork, should be laid. Lay the second layer of concrete on top, at the level of the edges of the formwork and tamp.

Note: concrete pads should be left until the concrete dries completely for one day.

Before you arrange a support on the site - wooden or brick, you need to make a layer of waterproofing. To do this, a layer of molten bitumen must be applied to the surface of the site and roofing material laid on it. The height of the supports should correspond to the height of those places on which the ends of the genital lags will rest.

Basement waterproofing

If there is a strip foundation in the bath, then the top of the support and the top of the foundation should be on the same level.

Supports for logs on the same level with the grillage

If the foundation is columnar (as in the described version of the construction of the bath) and the ends of the log will rest on the bars of the mortgage crown, then the top of the supports should be on the same level with the top of the mortgage bar.

When the supports are installed, you can begin to prepare the so-called underground, or rather the surface of the soil in the underground.

Backfilling cellars for juice water in the bath

If the floors in the bathhouse are leaking, and the soil passes water well (sandy soil), then in this case it is necessary to make a backfill of crushed stone, about 25 cm thick. Water, flowing through the cracks in the floor, will pass through the crushed stone and soak into the sand. The crushed stone will serve as a kind of filter, and the surface of the soil in the underground will not silt, the humidity will be moderate, and the underground will dry out well.

If under the bath there is soil that does not absorb water well, then in this case it is necessary to make a tray in the soil for the stack of water into a catchment pit, from which the water will go beyond the bath.

Tray for draining water into the catchment pit

To do this, under the leaking floors, you need to make a castle of clay with a slope to a pit to collect water. The castle can also be made of concrete, but these are not the necessary cash costs, a clay castle is quite enough.

For the construction of a clay castle, it is necessary to pour a layer of crushed stone, 10 cm thick, onto the surface of the soil of the bath underground and compact it tightly, then pour a layer of clay 15 cm thick on top of the crushed stone and level it in such a way that the soil surface has a slope on both sides to the drain tray relative to the horizon line.

Clay castle in the underground of the bath

For non-leaking floors in the bath, the underground surface can be insulated with expanded clay, but at the same time, attention should be paid to ensuring that there is a distance of at least 15 cm between the expanded clay layer and the logs, which is necessary for ventilation of the underground.

Near the wall, in the washing compartment, you need to make a pit and tamp its walls, strengthening them with clay. Bring a pipe out of the pit, through which water will drain from the pit (water inlet). The pipe must have an internal diameter of at least 150 mm so that the water flows out of the underground as quickly as possible.

Log laying

Laying a lag in the floor for a bath

For a non-leaking floor, laying the log should begin from the walls to the pit to collect water. The extreme logs have the highest point in relation to other logs of the floor. In the extreme lags, cutting is not necessary.

Cutting size in logs

For subsequent logs, cuts should be made with a slight bevel - about 2-3 mm, the same cut should be made in the log in the place that is in contact with the support (cutting to the width of the support). The slope of the floor will be approximately 10 degrees. The depth of the cut depends on the number of lags - if there are four lags on the entire floor, then the depth of the cuts will be deeper than in the lags, the number of which is six.

For leaking floors, the laying of the log can be carried out from any wall and without a slope, the logs for leaking floors can be at the same level relative to each other.

Logs in a leaking floor at the same level relative to each other

At the beginning, the bars for the sex logs must be sawn to the size of the bath, so that on both sides the logs do not reach the walls by about 3-4 cm. This distance is necessary for ventilation between the logs and the walls of the bath.

Structural elements when laying a log

Logs must be laid on the mortgage beam and support pillars only through waterproofing - through roofing material, glassine, etc. Also, each lag must be treated with an antiseptic.

Checking the horizontalness of the log using the building level

The horizontal laying of the log is checked using the building level. If the air bubble is not located in the center, as shown in the figure, then it is necessary to cut the places on the log that rest on a support or on a mortgage beam, it is necessary to cut it until the level shows that the log is laid exactly relative to the horizon line.

Leveling the log floor for the bath

The uniformity of laying the log relative to each other is also checked by level. To do this, you can put one board on the logs, which has a flat surface, and put a level on it. Checking the uniformity of laying the log is checked at three points near the walls and in the center. If necessary, the logs must be trimmed with linings or the logs must be trimmed to the desired level.

Distance from the lag to the foundation

Attention! Near the foundation, the logs should be located directly along the edges of the foundation at a distance of 10-15 cm from each edge, as shown in the figure.

After the logs are laid, and you proceed to the flooring of the floorboards, it is necessary to finish the foundation of the stove to the level of the flooring.

Building a foundation with bricks

To do this, on a site made in advance, you can lay out the foundation for the stove from refractory or red baked bricks, and you can also make the foundation for the stove concrete (monolithic).

To build a brick foundation, the following materials will be required - the brick itself and the cement-sand mixture for laying bricks.

The foundation can be laid out entirely of brick. In this case, approximately 104 pieces will be required. bricks, but the middle can be laid with broken used bricks. If you remove a concrete monolithic foundation, you will need to do - formwork, reinforcing strapping, and this will increase the complexity of the foundation. So an easier way is to build a brick foundation.

Leaky flooring

The laying of the boards of the leaking floor is carried out from unedged boards, which must be pre-trimmed, especially you need to pay attention to the fact that the ends of the boards must have a flat surface.

Lag installation scheme relative to the walls

The first step is to cut the boards to the size of the bath, taking into account the fact that between the boards and the walls there must be a ventilation gap of at least 2 cm. You can start laying the floor from any wall parallel to the laying of the boards.

Scheme of installing a lag in a leaking floor

When the boards are cut, it is necessary to lay the first board, stepping back from the wall about 2 cm and nail it (for example: the board has a thickness of 40 mm, which means the length of the nail is at least 80 mm).

Driving a nail for fastening a log

The nails are driven into the board along each edge, departing from them by about 15 mm, it is also necessary to take into account that the nails should be driven in at an angle from the center of the board - an angle of inclination of about 40 degrees. The board is attached to each lag with at least two nails.

Log laying scheme relative to each other

After the first board is nailed, the next board is laid, the gap between them must be at least 3 mm, as a template for the gaps, you can use a piece of fiberboard sheet and insert it between the boards.

Note: in the waiting room, the floor can be laid without gaps.

After the floors are laid, the boards must be covered with two layers of drying oil. Usually the boards are not painted with paint so that the floors dry out better.

Leakproof flooring

Tongue board for non-leaking floor

The non-leaking flooring is made of tongue-and-groove boards of coniferous wood.

It is necessary to lay the boards with a groove inside the bath, since during the fitting of the board it will be necessary to tap with a mallet on the end on which the groove is made, since the tongue can break off, because it has half the thickness of the board.

Draft floor for non-leaking bath floor

But before you start laying the floor, you need to make a "black" floor. To do this, along the edges of the lag from below, you need to attach bars with a section of 50x50 mm. Lay a “black” floor from scraps of boards on these bars between the lags, you can use an unedged board, a board of the second or third grade, as well as a slab.

Waterproofing non-leaking floor

When the “black” floor is laid, waterproofing is laid on top (roofing material, glassine or waterproofing films).

"Pie" between the lags at the non-leaking floor of the bath

As a heater, you can use expanded clay, which must be filled between the lags. After backfilling expanded clay, it is also necessary to make waterproofing.

The scheme of laying the final floor of the bath

When the device of the "black" floor is completed, it is possible to lay the finishing floor boards from the tongue-and-groove boards. The boards in the washroom and the steam room can be left unnailed so that they can be removed to dry. You can fix such a floor like this: from the edges, the boards are attached using bars with a section of 20x30 mm. The bars are attached to the logs with screws - “capercaillie” and when you need to remove the floor, the bars are easily removed.

But the device of the so-called removable floor in the bath is not very popular with builders, basically the floor shield is stuffed from tightly fitted boards and the floor will not be removable (see)

Ventilation of the space between the "black" floor and the main

Scheme of the simplest ventilation

In this case, you can make the simplest ventilation system for the space between the "black" floor and the shield flooring of the main floor.

There is another technology for the device of a wooden floor - multi-level floors. This is when the floors in the bath are not at the same level relative to the horizon line.

Scheme of the device of multi-level floors for a bath

So the floor level in the dressing room is 3 cm higher than the floor level in the washing room, and the floor level in the steam room is 15 cm higher.

This floor is:

• to reduce the volume of the steam room, which will save time on warming up the air and reduce fuel consumption for the bath, as well as the floors in the steam room can be insulated with a thicker layer of heat-insulating material, which will make the floors in the steam room even warmer;

• the difference in floor level between the washing compartment and the dressing room serves as a waterproofing, dampness not from the washing compartment will pass directly into the underground.

Note: based on the experience of building baths and considering examples of other builders who are building baths, I can say the following: floors can only be raised in a steam room, this gives an effective effect. But the floors in the washing room and in the dressing room can be made at the same level, since the ingress of dampness from the washing room into the dressing room is excluded by a partition with vapor-waterproofing and a doorway threshold. But there is always a choice - and everyone decides for himself how best to make the floor in the bath, I gave only examples of the device, and the choice is yours, dear readers.

Types of pipes for a ventilation device in a bath

For the device of such ventilation, it is necessary to leave holes in the floor in the corners of the bath in the washing compartment during the flooring for the subsequent installation of asbestos-cement, PVC pipes or metal pipes made of galvanized steel in them. Pipe diameter can vary from 50 to 100 mm.

Note: if the ventilation pipe will pass in the steam room, then in this case it is best to use a pipe made of galvanized iron, since in the steam room the temperature can reach more than 90 degrees and a specific unpleasant odor can come from the PVC pipes.

Fasteners for ventilation pipes in the bath

Installation of pipes is carried out after finishing the internal walls of the bath. If pipes are used with a small diameter of up to 50 mm, then they can be hidden under the lining of the walls of the bath. Ventilation from pipes of a larger diameter is arranged in the corners of the washing compartment and attached to the walls with clamps (see photo). Usually, pipes with a large diameter are installed in baths, in which the so-called bath day takes place not once a week, but three or more times a week. This increases the degree of humidity in the bathhouse, in the underground and requires more functional ventilation, and pipes with a large diameter remove evaporation vapor much more efficiently than pipes with a smaller diameter.

Bath concrete floor

In the bath, in addition to the wooden floor, you can also make a concrete floor. The advantage of a concrete floor over a wooden floor is the fact that the concrete floor has a longer service life (wood floor up to 6-10 years, and concrete floor at least 30 years).

The disadvantages of a concrete floor include the fact that the installation of such a floor is more laborious in relation to a wooden floor (preparation of a concrete mixture, laying and compacting concrete, floor reinforcement, thermal insulation between concrete layers).

Do-it-yourself concrete floor scheme for a bath

Before installing a concrete floor, you need to make a pit that will serve as a water collector, and make a drainage system - lay a pipe with a diameter of 200 mm and bring it outside into the sewer made. The walls of the pit can be concreted - the thickness of the walls must be at least 5 cm. The dimensions of the pit for a bath 4x4 m can be 40x40x30 cm.

Before laying concrete, the foundation must be prepared first. This will require crushed stone or gravel, as well as a brick battle or natural stone. It is necessary to lay a layer of broken brick 15 cm thick on the leveled soil, pour a layer of crushed stone 10 cm thick on top and carefully tamp.

When the base is prepared, the first layer of concrete can be laid - the layer thickness is 5 cm, while the floor should have a slope towards the pit. The slope of the floor can be controlled using the building level.

When the first layer of concrete has hardened, you can pour a layer of expanded clay 5-8 cm thick and put a second layer of concrete on top, which must be reinforced with at least a chain-link mesh. After thorough compaction of the concrete with a specially made simple device, or it is best to use a battery vibrator to compact the concrete, the floor surface must be leveled by applying a cement-sand mortar and smooth the surface, for example, by trimming an edged board with even ends.

Cement-sand mortar is best prepared with the addition of expanded sand - perlite. This material will provide not only a reliable cement floor covering, but also improve the thermal insulation of the concrete floor. Perlite is a specific material, and it can be difficult for beginners to work with it, in terms of preparing a properly mixed solution of the desired consistency.

Two buckets of perlite are taken and carefully poured into a concrete mixer or a special container in which the cement mortar will be prepared. Next, you need to pour a bucket of water with a volume of 10 liters into a container with perlite and carefully knead.

Note: since perlite is expanded sand, after adding water and kneading, the volume of the solution will decrease by about 1/3.

If the perlite is well mixed with water, it is necessary to add cement - about half the volume of a 10 liter bucket and resume mixing the components. After 5-8 minutes of mixing, add 5 liters of water and continue kneading.

When the mixture of components has reached a homogeneous mass, it is necessary to add another bucket of perlite and about 2 liters of water (no more!) And continue mixing the cement mortar. Kneading must be continued until an almost loose mixture is obtained. This is what you should pay attention to - although the mixture has become loose, you can not add water. It is necessary to let the cement mixture stand for about 10 minutes and continue kneading, during kneading the cement mortar will become plastic, and water will come out of the mixture, standing out as a separate element - this is excess water.

When the cement mixture has become plastic, you can lay it on the floor and make a cement screed. The hardening time of such a mixture is 4-5 days. From above, the floor in the bath can be tiled, but not tiled, otherwise the floors in the bath will be slippery, which significantly increases the risk of injury when washing in a bath with such floors.

Note: the floors in the dressing room can be made of wood.

The floor in the bath performs a number of functions that distinguish it from the coating in living rooms. It not only provides free movement with constant moisture, but is also part of the sewer system. Therefore, before installing such a floor, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the features of its installation.

Peculiarities

Before choosing a floor for a bath, you need to consider some of the nuances. The first thing to consider is the season in which the premises will be used. If the bath will be used all year round, then showers, a dressing room, an additional steam room and rest rooms are usually placed in it. In such a bath, a capital floor is installed: an insulated coating with ventilation and drainage. It is enough to make the floor in the summer sauna leaky.

Installation of a leaking floor is carried out by laying boards measuring 1.5 meters by 50 millimeters. The boards are laid on top of the logs - bars with a diameter of about 150 mm. When installing a log, it is necessary to take into account the type of foundation. For example, for a columnar foundation, logs must be supported on a mortgage beam. The logs are laid sequentially, starting from the shortest wall, the bars are placed at a distance of about 60 cm. The points of contact between the log and the foundation are treated with bituminous mastic or roofing material to ensure insulation.

Next, the subfloor is installed - a layer of soil is laid on top of the boards. The material and its quantity are selected based on the type of base soil. If the soil absorbs water well, then the subfloor is covered with a layer of rubble about 25 centimeters thick. Clay soils that swell when wet and do not conduct moisture well should be covered with a material that provides water runoff. After laying the floor boards, leaving a distance of 2 cm around the entire perimeter.

There should also be a small gap between the floorboards. The boards are fixed to the beams with nails. To provide protection against dampness and prevent the development of fungus, the coating is treated with drying oil.

A leaking floor is also called "cold" because its temperature is always low. The disadvantages of such a coating are that it is recommended to install it only in regions with a mild warm climate. Premises with such a floor are almost impossible to use in the cold season, because it cannot be insulated. However, there is an option to install the stove below the floor level. This design allows you to warm up the boards and better protect them from decay.

The process of creating a non-leaking floor is technologically more complex and resource-intensive. Before laying the log, it is necessary to install a subfloor. Next, the wooden flooring is covered with layers of waterproofing coating. To reduce heat leakage from the premises, the floor must be protected with mineral wool or fiberglass insulation boards. So that natural heaters do not lose their properties under the influence of water, a moisture-resistant coating is laid on top.

The rough floor is poured with a layer of bitumen and prepared for the installation of floorboards. The technology of laying boards depends on the purpose of the room. The floorboards in the steam room should look in the direction of the falling beam of light. In the dressing room, the floor covering is laid in the direction of travel. It is important not to forget to leave a space of at least one centimeter along the contour of the room. This distance provides ventilation.

A Russian bath with a heated floor resembles a pie in terms of the drainage system. The boards are placed at a slight slope, which ensures the flow of liquid into the built-in collector. Further, moisture flows through the pipes and is removed outside the extension. The advantages of a warm floor are that the coating is additionally protected from the cold, the moisture removal system allows you to increase the shelf life of the boards.

What coverage to choose?

In the room of a classic Russian bath, high humidity, and the temperature can reach 65 degrees. Under such conditions, the probability of floor rotting, especially wood flooring, is high. It is important to understand that each bath room has different operating conditions and the coating material and operating technology can vary significantly in each room. In addition to individual characteristics, the floor must have some general physical and mechanical characteristics.

The coating must be resistant to critical temperature differences: from above, the floor interacts with hot water, and from below, cold soil acts on it. Also, the flooring must withstand both mechanical stress and contact with chemical reagents of detergents. A mandatory characteristic of the coating is resistance to constant interaction with moisture and saturated water vapor. It is important to remember that the floorboards must be anti-slip and low maintenance. In addition to the above mechanical properties, the floor in the bath should look aesthetically pleasing.

The classic flooring is wooden flooring. This method of laying the floor in the bath is still used today. This is not only a tribute to tradition - wood has a high heat capacity and a beautiful appearance. A significant drawback of the boards is low moisture resistance: the coating is subject to decay and requires additional protection. Before deciding on the installation of a wooden floor, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of each tree species. For example, oak becomes too slippery when exposed to moisture.

Concrete flooring is no less popular than the plank counterpart. The cement screed has a high mechanical strength, which ensures a long service life. It is important to understand that it is necessary to lay the finish coat on the concrete base. Masters advise using tiled masonry. Ceramics is easy to install and use. A significant disadvantage of the concrete floor is the need for thermal insulation. Also, such a floor must be laid at a slope to ensure the drainage of water.

In the construction of baths, more and more preference is given to laying stone and tiled floors. Ceramics perfectly imitates natural stone and has a relatively low cost. In addition, this coating is durable and water resistant. An important point - the joints between the ceramic fragments require additional processing to protect against dampness and prevent the formation of fungus.

For the right choice of flooring, you need to take into account all the operational features of the selected room. In the steam room, you can lay floors made of concrete, stone or ceramics - these materials can withstand extreme conditions. Coatings containing formaldehyde must not be used. Under the influence of water and high temperature, such materials release toxic substances.

If there is a desire to decorate the floor with paint or varnish, then some restrictions must be taken into account. The safest way to decorate a wooden coating is to use water-based or dispersion acrylic paint. In the steam room, the use of oil paint or alkyd composition is strictly prohibited.

The requirements for the floor in the washing room are not as high as for the surface in the steam room. However, the poured coating must withstand prolonged contact with water and detergents. Floors must also withstand critical temperature fluctuations. Ceramics fully satisfies these requirements. Wood is also actively used in washing, but it must be treated with a special impregnation or varnished.

The floor in the dressing room practically does not come into contact with water and steam, so there is no need to increase its water resistance. There is a firebox in the dressing room, so the floor covering must be protected from fire and overheating. As a rule, boards are laid here. A metal plate measuring 60 by 90 centimeters is mounted in front of the firebox. This device is necessary to protect the floor from falling sparks and fire.

In the rest room, you can lay carpet or linoleum. The floors in this room should be comfortable and cozy. The main requirement for such a coating is that it must retain heat well. Since rest rooms do not come into contact with moisture and cannot withstand temperature changes, they do not require additional protection. They can also be placed on the floor or shelves to place the legs, which will add comfort.

Necessary tools and accessories

In order to obtain a high-quality floor with a long service life, it is necessary to follow the laying technique and the technology of preparing materials. The success of installation largely depends on the correct choice of tools. The floor can be installed under the guidance of a specialist or independently.

Some of the tools needed to install a concrete floor in a bath:

• The correct screed cannot be laid without the use of special rakes. These devices level the concrete mass during the laying process. It is important to understand that the coating should be as even as possible: violations in the technique can lead to serious consequences.

• A laser or water level will help to get the surface of the required evenness. With it, you can also vary the angle of the boards. The grooves for draining water must be even: no level difference is allowed along the flow of the liquid. Such moments must be corrected both at the initial stages of installation and during the laying of the slabs.

• Trowels are needed to spread cement over the entire surface from the far corner of the room to the edges. With the help of trowels, impregnation or varnish is also applied when finishing the surface. Trowels come with both pointed and semicircular edges. The rounded edges of the tool do not leave visible marks on the screed.

• Grater for cement. This device is necessary to obtain a flat surface. It is necessary to make circular movements on the surface of the laid mass. With their help, excess material is also removed and an even coating is obtained.

• Smoothers are also necessary to obtain a flat surface. Due to their design, they are able to cover and smooth a larger area than floats or trowels. Smoothers are used for global work on rolling cement over the entire surface. Among such tools, one can single out corner-type trowels - they are used to obtain a smooth coating at the junction of the floor with the wall.

• In order to qualitatively mix expanded clay or expanded clay concrete, you need a concrete mixer and a container for the solution. The mixing technology depends on its composition and installation method. Before working directly with cement, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the technology and mode of preparation of the mixture. This process can be carried out manually, but there is a risk of obtaining a heterogeneous mass. Incorrectly mixed composition will not provide the desired performance properties of the floor.

• Also, do not forget about simple tools. A shovel will greatly facilitate the process of spreading the concrete mass over the surface. A Velcro towel or any other rag material is needed to clean the tools during work. An even screed will be obtained only when working with cleaned equipment. Also, keep a container of water handy.

A different set of tools is needed to install a wooden floor.

• Metal profile for laying boards. A special grate is mounted from small steel gutters, on which the boards are laid. Such a frame is necessary in order for the sauna floor to be laid evenly and firmly held. Profiles are sold complete with special fasteners.

• An electric screwdriver and a drill are needed to fix the boards. They can be replaced with a metal hammer, but this will require a lot of time and effort. In addition to ordinary screws, brackets are used to fix the planks.

• To obtain bars of the required size, an electric planer and a hacksaw for wood are used. The work of sawing wood is quite dusty, so the craftsmen recommend laying a rug or sheets of newspaper on the floor of the working area. This will significantly reduce the time of subsequent cleaning.

• In any work on laying the floor, you can not do without a level. The laser device is much easier to operate and helps to achieve an even coating or the desired slope.
• The final wood layer often needs to be varnished or painted. To do this, stock up on rollers and brushes. Also, many materials are sticky and toxic, so all work must be done with gloves.

How to do it yourself?

The device of the flowing floor begins with the installation of lags. It can be wooden beams or metal beams. Before installing the logs, they must be treated with a special antiseptic agent that increases their corrosion resistance. The choice of antiseptics is great, but some prefer to use used engine oil as an analogue. If wood beams are chosen for the lag device, then they must be dried. To do this, the wood is left for some time in a room with a humidity of 10 to 12 percent. To save time, you can buy ready-made wood after drying in the chamber.

Lags are laid parallel from the smallest wall. If the room in the bath is large enough, then it is recommended to create a stiffening frame. For this, reinforced concrete piles are installed under the logs with a step of no more than one meter.

For the correct laying of the lag, there is a step-by-step guide:

• It is necessary to remove the top layer of soil from the installation site. Next, lay out a layer of sand or gravel with a thickness of 10 to 15 centimeters and reinforce the system with a mesh.
• Lay piles of brick or fragments of reinforced concrete slabs. This design will provide the foundation with the necessary bearing capacity.
• The system must be treated with bituminous mastic to protect it from water.

The fixed piles are covered with two layers of waterproofing. Sheets should not be laid too close to the walls. It is necessary to leave a gap of at least 4 cm around the entire perimeter. This will ensure ventilation of the resulting structure.

Next, a water drain system is installed. Moisture must be removed from the foundation. In order to competently equip the drainage system, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the features of the base soil. If the soil absorbs moisture well, then it is necessary to remove a layer of earth from the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bath and cover the surface with rubble. On soils with low culvert capacity, you need to dig a hole about 40 cm deep and carry out a moisture removal system into it. A special backfill made of clay ensures a uniform flow of water. Floors with this method must be laid at a slope of 10 degrees towards the water intake.

Underfloor heating boards are processed - they are hewn from the front side and leveled. A gap of two centimeters is left between the masonry and the wall for natural ventilation. Boards are laid at a right angle from the location of the lag. This technology provides the necessary strength of the future floor. It is necessary to maintain the same distance between the planks: the craftsmen advise using fragments of plywood for this purpose.

Warm floors can also be laid on logs. Bars or steel pipes are laid by the previously described step-by-step actions. To obtain a surface slope in the logs, cuts of four millimeters are made. It is not allowed to cut logs adjacent to the walls. The underfloor heating system is excellent. Between two supports they dig a hole with a depth of at least 300 millimeters and with dimensions of 400 by 400 millimeters.

The walls of the resulting pit must be reinforced with concrete and smeared with bitumen. Installation of the drain pipe is carried out at the bottom of the pit with an indent of two centimeters. The drainage pipe must be at least 15 centimeters in diameter. For these purposes, PVC is perfect.

Boards are laid, starting with a draft layer. This is followed by a waterproofing coating, laid out with an overlap. The joints are smeared with a small amount of bituminous mastic or glued with adhesive tape. After fixing the waterproofing, a layer of insulation is laid. In this case, the masters are advised to pay attention to mineral or ecological wool, expanded clay slabs. A more environmentally friendly type of insulation is a mixture of sawdust with PVA.

Between the finishing coating and the insulation, it is necessary to lay a vapor barrier. It is also important to leave a gap of at least fifteen millimeters between the layers: an exhaust pipe is passed through the hole. The planks of the final layer should not have crevices in the joints, so builders prefer a tongue and groove board. It is necessary not to forget about the installation of the drain system.

The laying of a concrete screed is carried out in several stages. The first concrete layer is poured with a height of no more than six centimeters and left not to dry completely. Thermal insulation of standard thickness is laid on a slightly damp layer. To provide the coating with the necessary rigidity, the insulation is covered with a reinforced mesh. The last layer of fill is laid at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees to ensure runoff.

The final layer, as a rule, does not exceed nine centimeters in thickness. Further, the surface can be decorated with ceramics or plank masonry. It is important not to forget that the coating must be resistant to temperature extremes and have a given strength. After installing the floor, the walls are polished.

Wooden

Plank flooring is perfect for a leaky floor in a steam room. Wood has good technical characteristics and requires relatively little labor. Masters advise completely newbies to stop on the device of a cold floor. There is no need to create an insulated "pie" of the foundation and laying engineering communications. A leaky floor in a steam room requires only simple drainage.

The flooring does not need to be fixed to the joists, as the covering must be regularly detached and dried in the open air. This design helps to keep the material in good condition even with frequent interaction of the floor with hot water. The board requires replacement after 4-6 years after commissioning. If, nevertheless, there is a desire to fix the coating on the logs, then the boards must be carefully treated with an antiseptic. A cold floor made of larch or pine is considered the most optimal price-quality ratio. Oak flooring does not have sufficient roughness and can lead to injury.

The non-leaking wood floor is suitable for year-round use. In the washing department and steam room, such a coating will last up to 10 years, if the rough layer is correctly installed and the laying of insulating materials is not neglected. Boards are not recommended to be painted. The chemical composition can clog the wood pores, which will give the coating a lasting chemical aroma.

Also, the paint does not help protect the boards from rotting. Masters advise leaving the surface clean, but sand well. Natural wood has a pleasant smell, and the aroma of pine needles is considered beneficial to health. In order to protect the coating from decay, special compounds are used. But an important point is the drainage device.

Concrete

Concrete has a long service life, which makes it a leader among the materials for installing the floor in the bath. Properly laid coating can last up to 50 years, does not require special operating conditions. The concrete screed is not prone to decay, because the development of microorganisms is impossible in concrete. Caring for such a floor does not require special measures or the purchase of expensive products.

The screed can be poured and used as a finished floor covering or laid on top of the tile. It is laid on the ground or logs. To strengthen the foundation for underfloor heating, screw piles are often used. On these piles, an insulating “pie” is already installed and a screed is poured. The concrete floor is time and resource intensive because it is a complex multi-layered structure.

Before purchasing, you must familiarize yourself with the composition of the product. Some types contain crushed stone or gravel, so they can cause difficulties in the kneading process. A homogeneous mass will be obtained only with the use of a concrete mixer or a perforator. If there are no such devices, then the masters recommend purchasing a solution on a cement-sand base. This material is much easier to mix and pour.

The consistency and composition of the solution largely depend on the conditions for the further operation of the cement screed. If concrete acts as a subfloor for laying boards, then the mixture does not require special additives. If you want to lay ceramic tiles on the screed, you must add gypsum with an anhydrate admixture to the solution. The concrete floor is not recommended to be used as a rough floor for the installation of a synthetic coating. When interacting with critical temperatures, synthetics release complex chemicals that can be hazardous to health.

Proper waterproofing is essential when installing concrete flooring. The floor is located under a slight slope, and a special pit with a drain is mounted under the base of the foundation. Water moves along the gutter and the ground and is removed outside the bath. Technologically competent installation of this system will protect the foundation from corrosion and allow the cement screed to serve for a long time.

tiled

Ceramics is widely used for laying cold floors. This material is not subject to decomposition under the action of microorganisms and does not require special operating conditions. The tile is resistant to critical temperature changes. The coating is also resistant to moisture, which allows it to be laid everywhere in the bath.

Designers note a wide color palette of this material, so they often use it to create decor in the rest room. The tile is environmentally friendly, does not emit harmful substances and does not have a chemical smell. Ceramics are laid directly on the self-leveling concrete floor.

The screed does not always provide a smooth finish and requires additional measures. Surface roughness must be kept to a minimum, as this work requires time and effort. A tile laid on a screed with irregularities will not last long. Water can get into the voids, which will lead to the appearance of fungus between the joints of the mosaic. The gaps between the fragments must be treated with a special tool both during installation and during operation.

A significant disadvantage of the tile is its high thermal conductivity. In order for the temperature in the steam room not to fall, competent thermal insulation is necessary. Another significant drawback is the injury risk of the varnish coating. It is necessary to purchase tiles with a rough surface so that it does not become slippery when in contact with water. To date, there are many ceramic tiles that imitate a stone coating.

Designers highlight the mosaic, stylized as pebbles. In addition to aesthetics and beauty, this coating has a massage effect. Such tiles will be an excellent solution for decorating a rest room in a marine style. Small stone particles are complemented with cut glass inserts. Sparkling inserts have a beautiful sheen and reflect light in an interesting way.

To increase the service life of the ceramic coating, it is glazed and fired several times. In addition, the masters are advised to give preference to thick tiles. Such material is resistant to temperature fluctuations. You should not buy tiles with a large number of pores - they are less durable. Clinker mosaic or porcelain stoneware cladding should be preferred. Pay close attention to the surface texture: glossy sheen should be avoided.

heated

The heated concrete floor creates a comfortable microclimate. This option is necessary when installing a cold floor, especially in a cool climate zone. Also, the underfloor heating system heats the surface from the inside, drying the material. This system allows you to get rid of dampness and increase the life of the floor covering. It is important to understand that such a heated floor is quite difficult to install for a beginner. The instruction of the master and control of the installation process is required.

Underfloor heating - a system of pipes or cables through which warm liquid moves. Convection provides uniform heating of the floor around the entire perimeter of the room, regardless of the location of the heating device. Pipes experience strong internal pressure, so the surface must be additionally reinforced. The contours themselves are easy to lay, but require reliable attachment to the rough surface. For the device of such heating, pipes without seams and joints should be purchased.

The distance between the contours is called the laying step. It must be maintained during the installation process. Violation of the step leads to uneven heating of the floor. A similar gradient is felt upon contact with the floor. You should also carefully choose the floor covering in the case of underfloor heating. Ceramics tend to heat up quickly, so craftsmen do not recommend using tiles as a finishing layer. Preference should be given to wooden panels.

To date, there are two ways to install a warm floor. The water system is carried out by the circulation of the heated liquid from the pump through the pipes. The coolant in this design can be either plain water or special antifreeze compositions. The water system consists of a boiler, a collector and pipes. It is difficult to install, and it is not cheap. However, such a system allows you to reduce heating costs. Water heated floor is often used as additional heating in apartments and houses.

Another way to install a heated floor is with an electrical system. These "cable" floors are easy to install, but their price is entirely dependent on energy tariffs. The cable converts electricity into heat and heats the surface evenly. To control the heating, temperature sensors are mounted in the floor. It is important to remember that such a system should not be combined with wooden materials, as there is a high probability of wood overheating and a fire.

Installation of each type of heated floor requires the control of the master. The floor is laid on thermal insulation material. Vapor barrier is an equally important layer when installing a warm floor. After laying the contours, the surface is poured with a cement screed.

All pipe joints must be additionally fixed. It is important to remember that after laying the cement layer, it will be impossible to make adjustments. Otherwise, it will be necessary to completely remove the masonry, re-clean the surface and eliminate violations in the installation of the circuits. It is important to lay pipes on a perfectly cleaned surface. After making adjustments, the surface is poured with a new layer of cement mortar.

Before use, the floors are pre-tested and heated in accordance with the instructions. The problems are fixed and the system is checked again. The cycle must be restarted until the desired temperature is reached. Only after the final tests, the cement screed is leveled and the installation of the final floor covering is started. It is important to understand that each joint of the material requires careful processing. A water-heated floor will last a long time if all its features are taken into account during the installation process, for example, steam and waterproofing of the floor.

For the manufacture of high-quality coating masters are advised to listen to some recommendations. The causes of floor failure can be varied, but many can be prevented if the laying technology is not violated. The choice of quality material also plays an important role.

When installing the log, it is important to install waterproofing between the pillars. Such a coating will protect the frame from rot and rapid destruction. Otherwise, the foundation will quickly collapse upon contact with water. The columns should also be made of materials with high frost resistance and water resistance. Water can accumulate in the soil, which will lead to corrosion of concrete and subsidence of the structure.

The wooden floor must not be installed without ventilation. Its scheme provides for gaps around the entire perimeter, depending on the type of layer being laid. It is not always possible to correct the violation after laying the finish coat, so it is necessary not to violate the technology at each stage of work.

Floor boards should not be less than 35 millimeters in thickness. Such a plank will withstand a critical load and last a long time, unlike an analogue of smaller thickness. All floor boards must be cut to the same dimensions. This will not only simplify installation, but also provide the necessary evenness and slope of the surface. In cold periods, such a coating will retain heat longer.

Wood floors must only be installed using stainless steel fasteners. Metal structures can be further treated to protect against rust. Since the coating is regularly exposed to interaction with water, it is necessary to pay increased attention to the choice of metal structures and fasteners.

The floor level of the washroom is always slightly lower than the level of other rooms. The steam room and the rest room should rise by a few millimeters.

Before you start laying boards, the coating must be processed. The material is impregnated not only with a mixture to protect against moisture, but also with a substance that protects against fire. The latter is especially important when installing a warm electric floor. All components of the floor must be protected from fire. These indicators are prescribed in regulatory documents and must be confirmed by material certificates.

Masters are advised to give preference to a tiled floor. This combination reliably protects against natural phenomena and the negative effects of the bathhouse. The coating is easy to install and use and will save on hiring workers.

When arranging a steam room, it is necessary to properly arrange the ventilation system. Otherwise, water vapor will accumulate and destroy the coating of the ceiling and walls. Poorly ventilated areas require constant ventilation after use. Only in this case, the bath room will last a long time. To bring ventilation to the outside in the attic, it is necessary to lay a pipe through which water vapor and smoke will be removed from the room. With a monolithic foundation, the craftsmen are advised to make holes from the ventilation pipe to the outside.

The floors in the bath are not at all a trifle, as it might seem initially. The way they are installed differs from the technologies used in residential premises, primarily in that bath floors are part of the sewer system. With proper installation, the bath compartments will be dry, despite the constant humidity in these rooms. And this means the absence of mold, fungus and a long service life of this institution, which is cult for all Russians. There are different methods of flooring in the bath, so you need to choose an acceptable one and adapt it to your building. Bath floors can be made independently, you just need to have a general understanding of the principles of their installation and the differences between the schemes.

Laying floors in the washroom

Washing area, perhaps, the main room of the bath. Here, between short visits to the steam room, visitors spend most of their time.

In the washing compartment, water constantly flows in large volumes, which is why maximum attention should be paid to the arrangement of this bath area. Especially when laying floors, since they are the most exposed to moisture and temperature changes, it depends on them whether the washroom will be comfortable and warm or uncomfortable and cold.

There is always a lot of water in the washing room, so the floors should be well ventilated and dry quickly.

The high humidity of this room puts forward special requirements for flooring so that they do not collapse in a fairly short time. Washroom floors should:

• resist thermal shocks and do not let in a draft;
• be breathable and dry quickly;
• ensure normal ventilation, free outflow of water, acceptable temperature of the floor covering.

With these requirements in mind, the owner of the bath must consider all types of floors and choose the most suitable one. Moreover, it is necessary to decide on the materials for the floor even before pouring the screed.

Floor structures for washing

The temperature of the surface of the bath floor rarely exceeds 30 °C, because the floor should be warm, not hot, pleasant even for bare feet, and not so that even bath slippers will melt. Therefore, you can use any material for its assembly - wood, tile, clay, concrete and others.

Do not use synthetic coatings. Chemistry has no place where high temperature and humidity are present.

Every floor covering has its pros and cons:

Consider the most common options for bath floors.

Wooden floor in the washroom

Hardwood and coniferous lumber is suitable for its arrangement: cedar, spruce, oak, ash, larch, fir. It is better to choose softwoods, since the resin they produce significantly increases the life of the floors. In addition, the tree has a healing effect on the body, and wet wooden flooring does not slip, and this is additional safety for visitors.

The advantages of wooden floors include:

• simplicity and ease of installation;
• naturalness, environmental friendliness and durability;
• low labor cost.

The disadvantages are the following:

If you settled on wooden floors, then you should know that, depending on the drain device, they are of two types: leaking and non-leaking structures.

In turn, leaking floors differ in the laying pattern:

Consider the sequence of work for the installation of leaking floors.

1. A hole is dug in the middle of the basement.
2. A trench breaks from its bottom in the direction of the drain cuvette, in which a sewer (drainage) pipe is laid with an inclination towards the water collector by about 3–4 ° (approximate difference in height over the entire trench is 5 cm per linear meter).

   The sewer pipe for draining water is laid with a slope towards the water intake

3. The foundation of the bath is being erected and waterproofed.
4. After that, along the entire border of the subfloor, from the walls of the base (or pillars), the earth is again taken out with a slope of 10 ° towards the dug hole.
5. Then the slope slopes are covered with crushed stone and well compacted (for greater strength, a reinforcing mesh with cells of the order of 80x80 mm can be laid on top of the crushed stone). Everything is poured with a dense concrete mortar, which is leveled and smoothed. To reduce the cost of work, well-mixed clay can be used instead of concrete. It is laid out with a 10-centimeter layer, leveled and, as it dries, moistened with water and smoothed.
6. Further, the walls of the foundation, if this is provided for by the technology, are tied with a metal belt and beam structures treated with an antiseptic are mounted. The lower coronal rungs are attached to the harness, and if there is none, then to the walls of the base with the help of anchors or studs).

   Sexual logs in the bath do not need to be cut into the crown crown, then they can be easily replaced if necessary

7. Floor boards with gaps are laid on the floor beams. The thickness of the boards depends on the distance between the joists, but should not be less than 20 mm.

   Simple and reliable floors with slots for draining water are quickly installed and easily replaced with new ones

Often, the boards are not attached to the beam vault, but are connected to each other with a bar and ready-made shields are simply placed on top. The beam must be located among the floor beams. Such shields are very convenient to take out to dry.

The scheme of equipment for non-leaking floors is not much different from the one described above in principle, although it is more difficult to implement. The difference is that the boards are laid without gaps on the rough flooring, for which second-grade wood is quite suitable.

For such floors, the logs are deepened into a concrete or clay layer (possibly into the soil itself), waterproofing is laid on top, sealed with a sealant. The space between the lags is filled with insulation. The draft floor is made with a slope towards the grated drain hole, through which water from the washing room enters the sewer network or sewage pit and is covered with polyethylene, then a wooden flooring is mounted.

In the arrangement of non-leaking floors, water flows into a specially equipped hole along an inclined plane

It is impossible to disassemble such floors for drying, so you need to provide excellent ventilation so that the wooden floor of a leak-proof structure does not rot ahead of time. This is its minus, but the non-leaking assembly is more durable and durable and provides for the possibility of a heating device to ensure maximum comfort from water procedures even in severe frosts.

Under the finish coating of a non-leaking floor, heating can be arranged

The choice of materials for the drain device

Let's say right away that it is impossible to save on materials for arranging floors in a washroom. You need to choose the best, modern ones that will be effective for years. To create a sewage system, it is necessary to use plastic building materials that do not corrode, are resistant to getting wet, are easy to assemble and operate without losing their qualities for more than 50 years.

These can be pipes made of PVC, HDPE, PVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride), polypropylene or corrugated polyethylene products. Any of them are perfect for an internal drainage device in a bath.

The diameter of the pipes is selected according to the intensity of use of the bath:

• if a steam room, sauna, toilet (i.e., several drain points) are provided, then pipes Ø 100–110 mm will be required;
• without the use of plumbing, only pipes Ø 50 mm are enough to drain water.

Material calculation and tools

To organize an internal drain in the washing department, you need:

• pipes Ø 110 or Ø 50 - the amount is calculated depending on the length of the drainage network;
• adapters from Ø 50 to Ø 110 for connecting pipes of different diameters;
• tees 110x110x90 and elbow 90° - 3 pieces each;
• vertical pipes for water inlets (Ø 110 or Ø 50);
• cement, crushed stone and sand.

Materials are purchased according to the chosen installation method. The same applies to tools. But in any case, you will need:

• building level;
• Bulgarian;
• bayonet shovel.

Concrete floor in washroom

Concrete flooring is the most common due to its low cost and ease of installation.

After hardening, you can make flooring from cork slabs or wooden gratings and install a drain.

For safety reasons, it is better not to cover the concrete floor with tiles or lay wooden lattice panels on top.

Other types of floors in the washroom

Those who revere old bathing traditions equip an earthen floor in the washroom. The process of laying it is extremely simple - cut off the top layer of the earth by about 15 cm around the entire perimeter of the room and tamp the remaining earth.

If you really respect the customs of your ancestors, then you need to dig a foundation pit half a meter deep and fill it with a mixture of fine sand and gravel. If desired, boards can be laid on top.

Previously, the floors in the bath were arranged directly on the ground, after cutting off its top layer and ramming the base

We have already talked about the clay floor, but despite all the advantages of the clay itself, such a floor has a big drawback - the clay dries poorly, and when it dries, it forms cracks into which water seeps. As a result of this, a persistent unpleasant marsh odor appears in the washing room over time.

In a word, wood would be the best choice, although it can be combined with other materials.

Video: do-it-yourself correct floors in a washing bath

Floor covering in the washing room

The floor is ready, it's time to think about protecting it. Everyone knows about the antiseptic, you should not neglect it and save on it. They process wooden elements even before the start of the main work, otherwise the wooden flooring can be ruined. The antiseptic does not change the texture of wood, does not contain heavy metals and harmful salts, and perfectly protects wooden components from biological damage.

It is also recommended to use a good varnish. Before applying it, you need to prepare the surface well. It must be clean, free of grease, polished to a mirror finish and dry. The varnish is applied in several layers, after it has completely dried, the bath must be heated and ventilated.

Lacquer must be applied to a previously sanded and well-cleaned surface.

Floors can be painted. Only the paint must be of the highest quality and absolutely harmless when heated.

In addition, there are folk remedies for flooring - the use of waste after processing sunflower oil. They are applied with a roller on a thoroughly cleaned and dried surface. Repeat 2-3 times at intervals of three days. Such a coating is safe, gives the wood a beautiful shade, and besides, it will cost almost free.

If the floor in the bath is concrete, then it must be covered with a finishing material, since by itself it looks unattractive. They cover the concrete floor with a massive floor board, porcelain stoneware or ceramic slabs, parquet, cork products.

In principle, any material is suitable, as long as it meets all safety rules. And the rest, it all depends on the intended design, on the personal preferences of the owner of the bath and on his financial capabilities.

Laying the floor in the steam room

Although the steam room is the heart of the bath, the floors in it, surprisingly, are the least significant segment of the entire bath project. The main thing here is the wall partitions and the ceiling. Remember how primitive everything was with our great-grandfathers. They threw plank blocks or split logs on the ground, and this was enough to take a bath with pleasure even in areas with severe winters. Cold feet? Splashed hot water and everything. No one complained and health was excellent.

Therefore, too much attention should not be paid to laying the floors in the steam room. Some advise equipping floors with insulation, vapor barrier and rough flooring in the steam room. Of course, this is very modern, but for a steam room it will be a waste of money.

As practice shows, a simple scheme for arranging floors in a bath is the best

And why drive moisture deep into the wood. It is much better and easier to create conditions for the free passage of water, and then take care of drying and ventilation. And it is much more important to make the floors in the steam room non-slip to avoid injury.

If the steam room is combined with the washing department, then there is no structural difference between them, everything is common and the same, the floors in this case are equipped according to the methods described above.

When the steam room is a separate area and there is no need to drain a large amount of water, then the floor is laid from an edged board with small chamfers (deck board). The slots may be slightly narrower.

The deck board is made from larch and therefore resists moisture well.

It is much easier with concrete floors - they are made in the same way as in all sections of the bath. A wooden ladder is certainly laid on top, since a bare bare concrete slab is not very pleasant.

The arrangement of the floor in the steam room, as, indeed, in the entire bath, is an excellent indicator: if it is cold in the bath after laying it, then look at the ceiling, most likely, there are problems with vapor barrier there.

What to make the floor in the steam room from: choosing the best material

Of course, wood is out of competition:

And what absolutely cannot be used for floors in a steam room is linoleum, chipboard and fiberboard. Wood boards ignite easily, and non-natural materials are capable of releasing hazardous substances at high temperatures.

Concrete floor equipment in the steam room

It is advisable to purchase all the necessary building materials from one manufacturer. This will add strength to the entire structure as a whole. Need to buy:

• edge tape;
• sand, cement M200 or 300 and gravel;
• primer, roofing felt and dry mix of self-leveling screed.

Tools for the job

To complete the entire process of equipping the floor in the steam room, you will need:

• protective equipment for eyes and hands;
• bayonet shovel and building level;
• a basin for mixing a solution or a bucket;
• concrete mixer and mixer;
• rollers (needle and primer);
• rules and construction trowel;
• gas burner for soldering roofing material.

Step-by-step instructions for laying a concrete floor in a steam room

1. Solution preparation. You will need a concrete mixer in which the components of the solution are placed - sand, cement grade 200 or 300 and gravel in a ratio of 2: 1: 3. It does not make sense to use other brands of cement (higher ones), this will only increase the cost of the work. Add water and bring to the desired consistency.

   To prepare the solution, sand, gravel, cement and water are used.

2. Subfloor fitting. The soil in the steam room is covered with roofing material cut into sheets, and the seams are soldered with a gas burner. It is needed as a waterproofing agent. A 10-cm concrete layer is applied over the roofing material with a construction trowel, after which the entire screed is leveled to the level using the rule. When the solution is completely dry, proceed to the next step.

   After the pouring is completed, the concrete layer must be leveled with the rule

3. Final alignment. Literally to the millimeter, the final leveling of the concrete layer is done. For this, a self-leveling compound is used. Before laying it, the surface is cleaned of debris and dust, and then primed. The primer is applied with a regular roller.
4. Application of self-levelling screed. Along the entire length of the steam room, the bottom of the wall is glued with edge tape. This is done so that the screed does not stick to the wall and does not burst in the future. The dry self-levelling mixture is diluted with water in the proportions indicated on the package and mixed with a mixer until smooth. Following this, it is evenly poured over the entire surface and leveled with a spiked roller to remove air bubbles.
5. Finishing work. The floor filled with a self-leveling screed is left to dry and only then proceed to the finishing work.

Video: pouring the screed in the bath with your own hands

Floor covering in the steam room

Some people believe that no impregnation should be used in the steam room, arguing that the bath should give health, and not emit harmful fumes at high temperatures. It's hard to disagree with this. But there is another side of the coin - physical wear and tear and decay.

Not only the wood with which the steam room is sheathed needs protection, but even the concrete floor screed loses its properties over the years. Plus, untreated, it accumulates dust that lovers of hot steam breathe.

If this is of little concern to the owner of the bath and he is ready to change the lining of the steam room (including replacing or repairing the floor) every 5 years, then, of course, no impregnations and oils. Otherwise, it is necessary to do the treatment of the steam room and it is advisable to use natural wax and oils for this, specially designed for saunas and steam rooms.

Linseed oil emphasizes the structure of wood, creates a protective film on its surface and does not emit harmful substances when heated.

Concrete floor screed can be treated with organic and inorganic impregnations. This will increase the wear resistance of concrete, prevent excessive accumulation of dust. But it is necessary to apply impregnations in a steam room thoughtfully, carefully studying the instructions and composition.

There are many schemes for arranging floors in the washroom and steam room. All of them are accessible and understandable. They can be implemented independently. You can even apply several technologies at the same time, such a combination will give good drainage and a flat surface. But as practice shows, the technology that is simpler is better. Good luck and light steam.

The floor in the steam room is the most crucial moment in the construction of the bath. This article will cover how to do bathroom floor with your own hands. Wooden and concrete floors are the main types that are used in a modern Russian bath. This time we will talk about wooden non-leaking floors using the example of a steam room with dimensions of 2.5x3.0 meters.

Basic information

flowing a wooden floor, as its name implies, is done when it is necessary that water freely passes through the gaps between the floorboards and is removed from the underground space to the outside. Compared with other types, the leaky floor has a simple design and, accordingly, is the easiest to manufacture. It can only be used in regions with a warm climate, as it does not have thermal insulation. In any case, when building a bath with my own hands, I would recommend that you be careful when choosing this type of floor.

Leakproof The wooden floor is made from tightly fitted tongue and groove boards. In the washing department, it is made inclined towards the drain trapik, which ensures the free discharge of waste water into the public sewer system or a drainage pit. For a steam room, it makes no sense to make a spillway, as this will significantly increase the cost of its manufacture. After all, visiting the steam room, we will not pour water in buckets there! For better cleaning of the steam room, you can make a two-sided slope of the floor - this is quite enough for its convenient maintenance. When installing a non-leaking floor, insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier are made, which distinguishes it favorably from the above type.

Concrete the floor has an undoubted advantage over wood. Its service life is 30-50 years, while a wooden floor will last no more than 10 years. Although the cost of its construction is higher, but in terms of operational properties it is significantly superior to any type of wood. If desired, it can be easily insulated, put ceramic tiles and drain the water. An excellent solution would be to equip a warm floor in the steam room or washing department, which will greatly facilitate their maintenance.

Description of floor construction

As a rule, the floor in the steam room is made with an elevation relative to the level of the finished floor (zero mark). It is enough to raise it by 70-100 mm, and an important goal will be achieved - maintaining heat in the steam room. And, conversely, in the washing department, the floor is made below the level of the finished floor in order to prevent water from entering other rooms of the bath. In accordance with this, the design of the reduced floor for the steam room has its own characteristics.

Basic materials

Clean floor. The best material for the floor in the bath is larch. Its hardness and wear resistance is comparable to oak. The only obstacle to its use is its price. The same board made of pine will cost 2-3 times cheaper. If it is possible to get larch, paying the appropriate money for it, then it is the best option. Otherwise, pine, fir, alder and birch tongue and groove boards can be used. For elements below the finished floor, pine can be used.

It is important to note that when laying the floor, the boards must be well dried. Raw boards during the operation of the steam room will dry out, changing their geometry: bending and twisting. This may be the reason for the appearance of gaps between the boards or the pulling out of self-tapping screws at the points of attachment to the logs. The thicker the board, the greater the deformation forces. A board with a thickness of 20-25 mm has the least tendency to deformation, but its strength properties are also lower. This disadvantage is compensated by laying additional lags. In our example, a well-dried tongue-and-groove board 36 mm thick and 120 mm wide was taken for laying the finishing floor.

For warming we take basalt wool "Rockwool" 80x600x1200 mm. We will make waterproofing and vapor barrier from a windproof waterproofing membrane of the Tyvek Housewrap type. The advantage of this film is that it has a one-way throughput, due to which it does not let moisture through from the outside, and from the inside it allows accumulated moisture and steam to freely leave the insulation. You can read more about the materials used for insulation in the article.

Other wooden structures we make from dried lumber:

• Backing bars 70x100x2960 ​​mm (thickness, width, length);
• Logs 50x180x2460 mm;
• Skull block 40x40 mm;
• For the subfloor, unedged board or edged board waste 20-25 mm thick and 100-150 mm wide.
  board or edged board waste for a subfloor 20-25 mm thick and 100-150 mm wide.

The composition and design features of the floor

In order to achieve the required elevation, in our example, backing bars with a section of 70x100 mm were used. They will greatly help with the installation of the floor logs, when it will be necessary to set them relative to the horizontal level. In addition, the floor structure will receive additional strength, since the underbeams will take on part of the load on the floor.

Below is a list of components that are assembled in the order in which the floor is laid.

1. The extreme lining bars are laid on, covered with two layers of rolled roofing material. The central bar with its two ends rests on the opposite walls of the strip foundation, and the central part on the surface of two supporting pillars.
2. On top of the backing bars there are logs that are cut to length with a slope of 20 mm on both sides towards the center. The cranial bars are nailed to the lags from below for the installation of a subfloor on them.
3. On top of the subfloor, a moisture-proof membrane was laid with an outlet of 20-25 cm for subsequent gluing with waterproofing of the walls of the steam room.
4. Basalt wool mats are laid on the subfloor boards over the membrane, on top of which a layer of moisture and vapor barrier membrane is stretched.
5. The structure is completed by a finished flooring made of grooved boards.

Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that a ventilation gap of 20-30 mm is provided between the lower (inner) surface of the finished floor and the vapor barrier membrane. As mentioned above, it should have outlets on each side within 20-25 cm for connection with a vapor barrier film under the lining. Moreover, this must be done in such a way that the air space under it is connected to the air space under the finishing floor. Only in this case will free air convention be ensured both under the floor and under the lining. Hot air, circulating through the ventilation gaps of the sheathed wall, will draw colder and more humid air from the underground space. The floor will be dry and not subject to decay.

When installing logs and underlays, make sure that there is a gap of at least 10 mm between them and the walls of the steam room. When the log house settles, this is enough so that it does not affect the entire floor structure.

When laying the subfloor, be sure to remove the bark, if any. After all, we do not want the bark beetle to start up there.

Ways of fastening structural elements

The quality of the work done depends on how we perform these important operations. Before starting the installation of the floor, you must clearly imagine which fasteners to use and how to connect all the structural elements to each other. Below are the possible mounting methods.

Production of support poles

To exclude the deflection of the lag from the action of the weight of people or equipment of the steam room, it is necessary to make supporting pillars (chairs) for them in the weakest places. The weakest point, of course, will be the center of the log. In our example, it is enough to install two supports with a section of 250x250 mm along the central longitudinal axis of the steam room. Chairs can be made of wood, brick or concrete. We will consider the last option.

Foundation preparation

• Mark out places for support tables.
• Dig a hole 400 mm deep. The dimensions of the pit in the plan should be such that it would be easy to put the formwork from edged boards.
• Pour a layer of sand at the bottom of the pit, pour water over it, tamp it with an unnecessary piece of bar. The thickness of the compacted layer should be about 100 mm.
• Pour crushed stone 150 mm thick on top of the sandy layer and also compact it well. As a result, we should get a total layer with a height of 250 mm.
• From edged boards, build a formwork for a square post 250 x 250 mm, the inner surface of which is covered with rolled roofing material. The height of the formwork must ensure that concrete is poured up to the upper level of the strip foundation.
• Lay steel reinforcement from a ø10 mm bar inside the formwork in the form of a flat grid with four cells 75 x 75 mm. Tie the rods together with steel wire. Place a broken brick under the grate so that the distance from the reinforcement to the crushed stone layer is about 50 mm, and to the formwork walls no more than 50 mm.

pouring concrete

• Prepare a concrete solution in the ratio of cement: sand: fine gravel - 1: 3: 5. The consistency of the solution should be above average, allowing it to be well compacted.
• Pour a layer of concrete 50 mm thick and compact. Lay steel reinforcement from a ø10 mm bar on it in the form of a flat grid with four cells 75 x 75 mm. Tie the rods together with steel wire. Make sure that the distance from the reinforcement to the formwork walls is no more than 50 mm.
• Lay the rest of the concrete solution on top of the reinforcement, tamp it down, level it on top of the formwork and make the screed into an even bar or rail.
• Leave for a couple of days for concrete to set. When the concrete is strong enough, it's time to start installing the floor.
• All subsequent work on the installation of support bars and, in general, all logs depends on how the support pillars are made and their level relative to the upper level of the foundation of the bath. Therefore, in order to facilitate their work, the supporting platforms of the pillars should be as close as possible to the conditional plane passing along the upper surfaces of the walls of the bath foundation.

The procedure for arranging the floor in the bath

Before starting the installation, it is necessary to process all the wooden elements of the floor structure in several layers. Treat the supporting platforms of the pillars and the upper surface of the strip foundation with liquid tar and lay the rolled roofing material in 2 layers.

Installing shims

The technology and process of arranging floors in a sauna steam room and a washing department differ significantly from the principles of constructing floors in residential and utility buildings.

To ensure an effective system of drainage, ventilation, hydro- and thermal insulation, it is necessary to adhere to the basic rules of laying. Properly equipped floor in the bath ensures the rapid removal of effluents and maintaining the microclimate in the room.

Often the floor for the bath is made of wood or concrete. It is difficult to determine which floor is better, since each type of base has its own operational features and characteristics that should be considered when arranging a private bath.

Concrete floor

Wooden floor

The wooden floor is simpler and more affordable in the arrangement, but less durable than the concrete counterpart. Already after 10 years of active operation, individual elements of a similar design are subject to reconstruction or replacement.

Floors from boards can be made from coniferous and hardwood, resistant to moisture and temperature extremes. The wooden base is represented by two types: leaking and non-leaking.

Leaking type floor

This is a budget version of the design, presented in the form of a wooden grate, the individual elements of which are installed in compliance with the gaps for the free discharge of effluents into the ground.

The leaking floor does not provide for the installation of a complex drainage system and additional insulation. For this reason, a bath with a similar floor is recommended to be used in the summer or in regions with a warm climate.

Such a base is available for self-arrangement, in addition, repair work will not cause technical difficulties. In this design, the floorboards are not attached to the logs, so if necessary, they can be dismantled for drying or replacement.

Non-leakage type floor

A non-leaking floor has a solid structure installed on, which are embedded in the ground or concrete base. For efficient drainage, it is carried out at a slight slope towards the drain hole.

For the installation of a solid floor, a tongue-and-groove board made of larch or pine, mounted on supports, is used. High-quality boards for the floor should not have deformations and defects.

The top flooring is laid on the subfloor, which is previously insulated with a moisture-resistant material.

A bath with this type of floor can be operated throughout the year at any temperature.

The choice of consumables and basic calculations

The device of the floor in the bath provides for the use of building and thermal insulation materials, waste pipes made of metal and plastic, galvanized fasteners.

What is better to make the floor in the steam room and sink? The quantity and type of consumables depend on the type of floor construction and installation method.

Concrete Floor Calculations

For installation work it is necessary to prepare:

• Fine sand for backfilling a layer 12 cm thick. Material volume (O) \u003d (3 × 3) × 0.12 cm \u003d 1.08 cubic meters. m.
• Expanded clay for backfilling before thermal insulation with a layer thickness of 30 cm. Material volume (O) \u003d (3 × 3) × 0.30 \u003d 2.7 cubic meters. m.
• Expanded polystyrene sheets extruded for thermal insulation. The thickness of the insulating layer is 10 cm. The number of sheets for a room of 9 square meters. m - 2.5 packs.
• A mixture based on cement and sand (ready-made or homemade). The thickness of the screed is from 6 to 12 cm. The average dry mix consumption is 18 kg/sq. m. Concrete layer in 1 cm = (3 × 3) × 18 kg / sq. m = 162 kg. For a 6 cm layer: 162 × 7 = 1134 kg or 63 bags of ready mix.
• Reinforcement mesh for fixing a concrete layer measuring 5 × 5 cm.
• Rolled roofing felt for waterproofing a sand cushion from an expanded clay layer.
• Metal profile for beacons under the screed. For a steam room of 9 sq. m. will require 18 meters of profile.
• Plastic drain pipe up to 5 meters long, with a cross section of up to 3.2 cm, siphon and swivel elbow.

Calculations for a wooden floor

As a working example, the calculation of materials for the installation of a wooden floor in a steam room of 9 square meters is given. m.

To build a simple floor of a leaky type, you will need:

• Bar for the subfloor measuring 3 × 3 or 4 × 4 cm along the length of the beam. The distance between the beams is 0.5 meters, the total amount of material is 30 meters.
• Unplaned board for a base up to 25 cm wide and 2.5 cm thick. For one section you need: (300/25) × 0.5 = 6 meters. For decoration of 5 floor sections: 5 × 6 = 30 meters.
• Guide bar for creating a drain slope with a section of 2 × 3 or 3 × 3 cm.
• Bar for fixing logs under the finishing base with a section of 6 × 6 cm.
• Rolled or sheet roofing felt for waterproofing. For a steam room, 16 meters of material are needed, taking into account allowances.
• Basalt wool roll 8 cm thick for thermal insulation.
• Galvanized steel sheets up to 0.6 mm thick - 11 sq. m. material.
• Polymer pipe, elbow and drain for installation in the drain. To ensure proper drainage, the installation of the elbow with the connected pipe must be carried out at a right angle.

Concrete floor installation technology

The arrangement of the floor begins with the preparation of the soil inside the foundation - cleansing from debris and dirt.

The layout of the monolithic base is as follows:

1. The soil is carefully compacted and leveled. The inner walls of the foundation are treated with bitumen in several layers.
2. At the preparatory stage, the sewer pipe is laid through the foundation. To do this, it is enough to make an inlet in the base and install a metal adapter for supplying a plastic pipe.
3. The sewer pipe is brought to the place where the drain hole is provided. The end of the pipe is plugged to prevent blockage.
4. A sand cushion up to 12 cm high is poured onto the ground, moistened and rammed.
5. Next, you need to put the roofing material on the inner walls of the base with an overlap of 15 cm. Additionally, the joints are treated with bitumen-based mastic.
6. Expanded clay up to 35 cm thick is laid, leveled and rammed. 8 cm remains to the edge of the base.
7. Expanded clay is covered with a film 200 microns thick, and the joints are glued with construction tape. Thermal insulation is installed on top of the waterproofing.
8. After the foundation is insulated, guides for pouring concrete are installed in increments of 55 to 95 cm. Beacons are laid on a mixture of cement and sand.
9. When installing the guides, it is important to observe the required slope for proper water drainage. In this case, the beacons are set strictly according to the level.
10. At the bottom of the walls around the perimeter of the room, a damper tape up to 12 cm high is fixed. After pouring and drying the concrete screed, the remaining tape can be removed.
11. The concrete is poured with the prepared mixture and left to dry completely.

Important! 5 days after pouring, the beacons are dismantled, and the existing voids are filled with a mixture. The first 10 days the floor is thoroughly moistened with water up to 3 times a day.

Leaking wood flooring technology

A step-by-step guide for installing a leaking floor provides for a step-by-step work: preparing the underground, installing a log and wooden flooring.

Underground preparation

In order for the water that enters the underground to be discharged into the ground, it is necessary to properly prepare the base - for this, the top layer of the earth is cut off and the waterproofing cushion is backfilled from fine gravel up to 26 cm thick.

For soils with a low level of moisture absorption, the soil is removed at a slight angle, and the drainage is organized into a 30-cm pit through the sewer. The soil is covered with clay and leveled.

Important! Before backfilling the pillow, supports are installed under wooden logs, and a foundation is also erected for heating equipment.

Installation of support logs

How to properly install the lag? They are mounted on concrete supports equipped with a brick stand. The height of the lag laying is determined by the height of the pillars (columnar foundation) or tapes (strip foundation).

The installation of the lag is carried out opposite the short wall of the building. To avoid deformation of the log or their swelling, the supports are covered with a double layer of waterproofing made of roofing material treated with hot bitumen.

To ensure natural ventilation when laying the log to the walls, minimum technological gaps of 4 cm should be observed.

wood flooring

To lay the floor, use boards that are fixed perpendicular to the installed lags. In this case, it is necessary to observe the indents between the individual elements of the floor - 5 mm, between the boards and walls - 2.5 cm. The wooden shield is fixed to the logs using metal nails.

Leak-proof wooden floor laying technology

The device of the wooden floor in the bath provides for the installation of support logs similar to the previous option, with the formation of an inclined surface for efficient drainage.

Installation of the floor in the bath is carried out in the following order:

1. Organization of the water intake system. The first stage of installation of a non-leaking floor is the organization of a water inlet measuring 45 × 45 cm, located between the supports and thermally insulated with a solution of clay or cement. The depth of laying the water intake is 35 cm. At a height of 3 cm from the bottom of the receiver, a pipe is installed at a slight slope to discharge wastewater into a drainage well or pit.
2. Subfloor installation. After mounting the lag on the supporting pillars, the subfloor is fixed - a filing made of cheap material, for example, a second-rate board. Hydro, heat and vapor barriers are laid on the boards in layers to protect against moisture.
3. Fixing the finish. On the installed logs, a finish coating of a tongue-and-groove board with a low moisture absorption coefficient is fixed. Along the perimeter of the room from the walls, a gap of 2 cm is observed for natural ventilation. Boards are fixed with nails at an angle of 50 degrees. Finally, a decorative plinth is mounted.

Important! Wall cladding is carried out over the installed plinth to prevent the collection of condensate under the plinth.

Effective protection of logs and flooring from decay

In order not to rot the floor in the bath, experts recommend treating it with a heat-resistant water-based varnish. Such a coating is able to withstand heating temperatures above 100 degrees, providing the surface with reliable protection against high humidity, hot steam and pollution.

The protective varnish is applied to the wooden base with a brush in several layers. Works are carried out in a well-ventilated room at an air temperature of 4 to 28 degrees.

If a wooden floor is being installed in a leaky bath, then a protective composition is applied to the finish coat and to the supporting logs.

Laying floors in a bath is a complex procedure that depends on the design features of the building, its size and type of foundation. But, despite the technical difficulties, any owner of a private bath will be able to master the technology of laying floors with his own hands.