The bathhouse consists of two rooms - a steam room (washing room) and a dressing room. Each of these rooms has its own characteristics, and floor construction technology takes these differences into account. Let's start first with more complex work - the floor in the steam room, and then we will look at the installation of floors in the dressing room.
High temperatures, high humidity and direct contact with water require special care when laying floors. Otherwise, washing will be uncomfortable and the floors will have to be changed frequently. So, we have a ready-made log house, why start installing floors and what they are like.
Photo of the floor in the steam room, already finished and laid 
Wooden floor in the steam room
Spilling floors - photo
The simplest option, they are laid only with natural (glued will not work!) boards coniferous species, the thickness of the boards is at least 25 mm, the distance between the logs is no more than 80 cm, the distance between the beams is 1.0÷1.3. The thicker the boards, the greater the distance between the logs. For logs, you can take bars 50x100 mm, the dimensions of the beams are approximately 100x100 mm. If there is a desire, impregnate it with antiseptics; if there is no desire, the floors will last for many years without impregnation. The main difference between pourable floors is that water flows over the entire area into cracks ≈5 mm wide.
Do-it-yourself shower floor. Instructions
Step 1.
The fact is that the water must go into the ground. If the soil is sandy, there are no problems. If your soil is clay or loamy, there will be problems. Baths are built on columnar or shallow strip foundations; they are dug to a depth of about 50 cm; rarely does anyone make a sand cushion (but in vain!). Clay soils swell when there is an excess of moisture, and the bathhouse begins to “play” with everyone negative consequences. This means that on clay soils it is necessary to make drainage if the foundations are closed (shallow strip foundations). You shouldn’t be particularly upset, if the builders are responsible, then they should have left ventilation holes in the foundation; they can be used to drain water. There are no such holes - you will have to make them yourself.
Step 2. The floors are laid on joists, the joists are laid on beams. And here a lot depends on the conscientiousness of the builders. They had to lay the beams while laying the timber. Didn't get it? The problem is, you need to make columns for them.
Columns should be filled only with concrete; brick is afraid of moisture and will crumble after a few years.
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Make markings, the distance between the posts is the same as the distance between the beams. In most cases, 1.0÷1.3 m is sufficient (for beams 100 × 100 mm). Dig square holes 50 centimeters deep, pour 15÷20 cm thick sand onto the bottom and compact it, this will be a cushion that protects against swelling. |
| In clay soils there is no need to make formwork, the earth will hold its shape anyway, formwork only needs to be made for the protruding part of the posts. For sandy soils you will have to make formwork along the entire height of the columns. For formwork, you can use various waste boards, scraps of OSB boards or plywood. The height of the columns should be lower than the floor level (in construction this level is considered to be the zero mark) by the height of the beams, joists and the thickness of the boards. First you need to set up the formwork of the outermost posts, stretch a rope between them and place all the rest at this level. |
| Pour the concrete, it’s easy to do, you don’t need any advice. |
| After pouring, you need to wait at least two weeks, during this period of time the concrete gains 50% of its final strength, and you can already work with such material. Remove the formwork and check the position of the posts again. If necessary cement-sand mortar straighten the columns, make them as equal in height as possible. |
Video - Example of arranging a columnar base for logs
It is advisable to lay the beams on a waterproofing material; it is not necessary to use expensive modern cushioning materials; you can use ordinary roofing felt or several layers of polyethylene film.
The beams are fixed to the posts with corners - with a dowel in concrete, or with a screw or nail in wood. Place beams and joists level, constantly check the spatial position, fix the joists to the beams metal corners. The same height is also checked with a rope stretched between the outer eiders. If necessary, pieces of boards should be placed under the joists for leveling. Just don’t use wedges, they fall out over time; the stop of the spacers should be across the entire area of the beam.
Prices for roofing material
roofing felt
Step 3. Laying boards.
The boards are laid across the joists; do not forget to leave gaps between them for water to drain. To ensure that the slots have the same width, you can use a thin river of suitable thickness as a template. After laying the board, it is removed.
You can nail it (quickly and cheaply), or you can use self-tapping screws. The main thing is that the caps need to be recessed flush. Why are nails better? The fact is that the relative humidity of the floors in the steam room changes within significant limits, the boards swell and dry out. The nails compensate for these changes in the thickness of the floor; they pull out a little from the joists; the length of the nails in our case is approximately 70 mm. In general, there is a rule - the length of the nails should be three times greater than the thickness of the board being nailed. The screws hold tightly, the boards break through a little, which is not very desirable.
Video - Preparing boards for laying
Video - Installing beams, laying floorboards, floor insulation
Step 4. Finishing work - nailing the baseboards, leveling and, if necessary, sanding the boards. Skirting boards are nailed in the usual way with small nails approximately 30 mm long. Specific values depend on the thickness of the skirting boards. Corner cuts should be made at an angle of 45°, there are special devices for cuts. If you have a factory device at hand, it will not be difficult to make it yourself. That's all, the drain floor is ready for “use”.
Do not be afraid that the drain floors are cold and you will catch a runny nose in the steam room. The temperature in the steam room is about +80°C, from such heat the floor also heats up, and large drafts from small cracks will not appear.
Non-leakage floors
Making them is a little more difficult, but the comfort of staying in the steam room increases. They differ from leaking ones in that there are no gaps between the boards, but there is a slight slope for draining water.
You need to make a slope towards one of the walls of the steam room; you should keep in mind that the mesh will have to be cleaned periodically. This means that access to the drain must be free. It is advisable to make a water receiver at the drainage point and immediately remove it beyond the perimeter of the foundation; this is not difficult to do, the water flows in one place (unlike leaking floors).
Concerning preparatory work regarding the installation of ventilation holes in the foundation and the installation of stacks, then these works are the same as we described above, but in the future there are differences.
Step 1. Preparing the columns. The markings for the distance between the posts, the depth, the preparation of the cushion and the preparation of the concrete mixture are the same. Further differences. The point is that the columns should be on different heights. The floor near one side is slightly higher than near the other. The slope should not be large, two to three millimeters per linear meter floor. For example, if you have a steam room 4 meters long, then the difference in height of the outer columns should be within 8 ÷ 12 millimeters. It will not be possible to immediately pour concrete with such precision; you will have to adjust it with mortar after removing the formwork. For the initial marking you will need a simple hydraulic level; make marks on the formwork of the outer posts. Next, everything is already familiar - pull the thread between them and level the surfaces.
Step 2. And here there is a lot in common, only the beams and joists will be at an angle, you also need to check their position using a stretched thread. After installing the last log, do not be lazy to check again that they are in the correct position.
Step 3. Laying boards. You immediately need to prepare a drain grate and come up with a drain method. Use hoses or pipe sections of appropriate diameters. Before laying, check the boards for parallelism of the edges; if the curvature exceeds 5 mm, straighten them using a surface planer. To lay the boards you need to have special devices to pull them tightly. There are two options. The first is to buy a ready-made one in the store; it is inexpensive and works quite effectively. The second option is to prepare ordinary metal staples and wooden wedges various sizes.
Nail the first board against the wall and secure the stops to the two joists. We already said that these could be staples or factory fittings. The distance between the stops and the first board should be several centimeters greater than the width of the second board. You can fix the stops further, and adjust the distance with stand boards - this is faster, but more difficult. Install the second board and, using wedges, pull it tightly to the first, the slight bend will be evened out. Secure the second board with any hardware. That’s it, you have mastered the “main operation”, continue installing the entire floor using the same method.
Don't forget to install a drain grate where the water drains. It can be homemade from galvanized sheet iron or purchased, there is no big difference, both cope with their functions perfectly.
Prices for floor boards
floor boards
Floors in the waiting room
There are three options - ordinary planks, insulated and heated. The first ones are no different from the non-spillable ones in the steam room, only they do not have a slope and, accordingly, no holes for draining water. Let's look at the two remaining options.
Insulated floors
The simplest option is to use polystyrene foam as insulation, although mineral wool can also be used in the dressing room. The columns, dimensions of beams, joists and boards are identical. The insulation installation technology has slight differences. Let's start with this operation
Step 1. Rough floor. The insulation is placed between the rough and finished floors. The subfloor is attached to the joists from below and is made from scrap boards, slabs, used plywood sheets or OSB boards. This is an “economical option”; if you have extra money, use new materials.
Step 2. Placed on the subfloor insulating materials, make sure that there are no gaps between the individual sheets of insulation. If mineral wool is used, then you will have to make steam and water barriers; wool is very sensitive to moisture, and when wet, its thermal insulation properties deteriorate sharply. But that's not all. Once wet it doesn't dry well. wooden structures are in prolonged contact with wet cotton wool. There is no need to tell what happens to them in such conditions.
Prices for OSB boards
OSB boards
Video - Subfloor
Step 3. Finish floor. We have already told you how to lay it, now you already have construction experience, the work will go faster.
Laying floorboards on top of insulation - penoplex
Electrically heated floors
Enough complex design, requires careful attention and some knowledge not only in construction, but also in electrical engineering. Before you get started, there are a few things you need to know.
- It is not advisable to use boards, laminate and other wooden coverings for heated floors. Firstly, they have very low thermal conductivity; most of the thermal energy will heat the ground, and not the floor and room. Secondly, the risk of cracks or cracking of the material increases significantly; even the use of boards with a relative humidity of 8% does not always save. The fact is that while you are using and laying purchased dry boards, they will absorb moisture. You can, of course, use artificial plastic boards, but is the “game worth the candle”?
- It is necessary to accurately determine the heat source. When heating with water, you need to network engineering from home or install a separate boiler in the bathhouse. Both options are questionable from an economic point of view. Remains electric version heating But here, too, problems arise - to be effective, the power of the heating elements should be approximately 140 W per square meter premises. These are quite large values, you need to make sure they match power lines power transmission to these indicators.
- Heating electric shock requires the installation of a complex electrical wiring. All work should be carried out in strict compliance with the PUE. Do you have such knowledge?
If everything is fine, then you can begin the actual work. In our case, heated floors will be for ceramic coating; this is the most effective option.
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Step 1. Preparing the base.
| The site needs to be leveled. Perfect option– use foam concrete. With its help, the site is leveled and it is ensured thermal insulation heating elements from the ground - the efficiency of using heated floors increases. But it is impossible to prepare foam concrete at home; you need special reagents (this is still being decided) and a special unit (this is no longer being decided). You will have to prepare ordinary concrete and cement-sand mixtures. The site should be leveled with concrete. To do this, first level the ground manually - the work will go faster and less concrete will be needed. Next, beacons are installed; you can buy them in a store, use even thin slats for these purposes, or make beacons from mortar. The third option is quite complicated, it requires skill and skill, it is better to use the first two. The beacons are installed below the level, try to make the base as level as possible and strictly in horizontal plane. If the horizontal position is a little “naughty”, it’s not a problem, you’ll have time to level it out in the future. It is better to pour concrete over the entire area as quickly as possible, otherwise there will be breaks. The thickness of the concrete is within 5÷8 cm; if large loads on the floor are expected, reinforce it with construction reinforcement of a periodic profile Ø5 mm. There is no need to knit any mesh from the reinforcement, just lay it in the thickness of the concrete in rows at a distance of ≈ 30÷40 cm. Let it dry for at least a week, or better yet, two. The beacons do not need to be removed; they will not interfere. |
| Step 2. Thermal insulation.
| It is best to use high-strength foam up to ten centimeters thick. Its physical strength characteristics are quite suitable, it is easy to work with, and its cost satisfies most developers. Lay the foam in even and dense rows. |
| Step 3. Screed.
| It should cover the foam and protect it from mechanical damage. For screeding, you need to use the so-called dry mortar. It's not completely dry as you might think, it just has a lot more less water than usual. The moisture content is checked simply - you can squeeze it in your hand, moisture should not seep between your fingers, and the lump should not crumble. Advantages of dry mortar: due to its low density it conducts heat poorly (additional thermal insulation), working with it is very quick and easy, and its strength meets the required parameters. Make the screed in the same way as a concrete screed, thickness 2÷3 centimeters. |
| Step 4. Laying heating elements.
| There is nothing particularly complicated here, it’s not worth taking up time. Read the manufacturer's instructions and follow their recommendations. |
| Step 5. Styling ceramic tiles.
| The tiles can be laid directly over the heating elements, or you can make another screed cement mortar, only not dry, but ordinary. The second option is preferable. Decide for yourself, the main thing is that the tiles do not damage electrical cables. The tiles are laid in the usual way. Here you already need to have at least some experience. If you have never done such work, you will have to learn on the go and suffer a little. Be prepared that it may not work out the first time. |
| Step 5. Connection.
| Manufacturers fully equip with all protection and control devices, connect them according to the rules of the Electrical Installation Regulations, select a location for installing the automation. |
Video - Screed
In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about the floors in the dressing room. Before you start with warm floors and heated floors, weigh everything carefully. These floors require skill, time and money, and the return on them is minimal. Any work must have logic, only in this case the efforts are justified. Think about how long you need to stand barefoot on a warm field for the insulation to retain the heat from wooden coverings, brought it back and “warmed” his feet? How long does it take to warm up the floors (and how much will it cost) just to get undressed/dressed in a few minutes? Isn't it better and cheaper to use ordinary (or warm) slippers in the dressing room? And we described the technology for arranging warm and heated floors in the dressing room only because there is a demand for such types.
The technology and process of arranging floors in a steam bath and washing department differ significantly from the principles of constructing floors in residential and commercial buildings.
To provide effective system drainage, ventilation, hydro- and thermal insulation, it is necessary to adhere to the basic installation rules. A properly equipped bathhouse floor ensures rapid removal of wastewater and maintains the microclimate in the room.
Often the floor for a bathhouse 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 taken into account when arranging a private bathhouse.
Concrete floor
Wooden floor
A wooden floor is simpler and more accessible to install, but less durable than its concrete counterpart. After only 10 years of active operation, individual elements of such a structure are subject to reconstruction or replacement.
Plank floors can be made from coniferous and deciduous wood, resistant to moisture and temperature changes. The wooden base comes in two types: leaking and non-leaking.
Leaky type floor
This a budget option structure, presented in the form of a wooden lattice, the individual elements of which are installed in compliance with the gaps for the free discharge of wastewater into the ground.
A leaky floor does not require complex installation drainage system And additional insulation. For this reason, a bathhouse with a similar floor is recommended to be used in summer period or in regions with warm climates.
This basis is available for independent arrangement, in addition, and renovation work will not cause technical difficulties. In this design, the floorboards are not attached to the joists, so if necessary, they can be dismantled for drying or replacement.
Non-leakage floor
A non-leakage floor has a continuous structure installed on floors that are embedded in the ground or concrete base. For efficient drainage, it is performed at a slight slope towards the drain hole.
To install a solid floor, a tongue-and-groove board made of larch or pine, installed on supports, is used. High-quality floor boards should not have deformations or defects.
The top flooring is laid on the subfloor, which is pre-insulated with moisture-resistant material.
A bathhouse with this type of floor can be used throughout the year at any temperature.
Selection of consumables and basic calculations
The construction of the floor in the bathhouse involves the use of construction and thermal insulation materials, waste pipes made of metal and plastic, galvanized fasteners.
What is the best material to make the floor from in the steam room and sink? Quantity and type Supplies depend on the type of floor structure and the method of its installation.
Calculations for a concrete floor
For installation work you need to prepare:
- Fine sand for filling a layer 12 cm thick. Volume of material (O) = (3 × 3) × 0.12 cm = 1.08 cubic meters. m.
- Expanded clay for backfilling before thermal insulation with a layer thickness of 30 cm. Volume of material (O) = (3 × 3) × 0.30 = 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 consumption of the dry mixture is on average 18 kg/sq.m. m. Concrete layer of 1 cm = (3 × 3) × 18 kg/sq. m = 162 kg. For a 6 cm layer: 162 × 7 = 1134 kg or 63 bags of ready-made mixture.
- Reinforcement mesh for fixing a concrete layer measuring 5 × 5 cm.
- Rolled roofing felt for waterproofing the sand cushion from the expanded clay layer.
- Metal profile for beacons under screed. For a steam room with an area of 9 sq. m. 18 meters of profile will be required.
- Plastic pipe for drainage up to 5 meters long, with a cross-section up to 3.2 cm, siphon and swivel elbow.
Calculations for wooden floors
As a working example, the calculation of materials for installing a wooden floor in a steam room with an area of 9 square meters is given. m.
To build a simple leaky floor, you will need:
- A block 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. To design 5 floor sections: 5 × 6 = 30 meters.
- Guide bar for creating a drain slope with a cross-section of 2 × 3 or 3 × 3 cm.
- A block for fixing joists for a finished base with a section of 6 × 6 cm.
- Rolled or sheet roofing felt for waterproofing. For the steam room you need 16 meters of material, taking into account allowances.
- Rolled basalt wool 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 a drain hole. To organize proper drainage, the installation of the elbow with the connected pipe must be performed at a right angle.
Concrete floor installation technology
The arrangement of the floor begins with preparing the soil inside the foundation - clearing it of debris and dirt.
The layout of the monolithic base is as follows:
- The soil is carefully compacted and leveled. The inner walls of the foundation are treated with bitumen in several layers.
- At the preparatory stage, the sewer pipe is laid through the foundation. To do this, it is enough to make an inlet hole in the base and install a metal adapter for supplying a plastic pipe.
- The drain pipe is brought to the place where the drain hole is provided. The end of the pipe is plugged to prevent clogging.
- A sand cushion up to 12 cm high is poured onto the ground, moistened and compacted.
- Next you need to put roofing felt on interior walls bases with an overlap of 15 cm. Additionally, the joints are treated with bitumen-based mastic.
- Expanded clay up to 35 cm thick is laid, leveled and compacted. There is 8 cm left to the edge of the base.
- Expanded clay is covered with a film 200 microns thick, and the joints are taped with construction tape. Thermal insulation is installed on top of the waterproofing.
- After the foundation is insulated, guides are installed for pouring concrete in increments of 55 to 95 cm. The beacons are laid on a mixture of cement and sand.
- When installing guides, it is important to maintain the required slope for proper water drainage. In this case, the beacons are set strictly according to level.
- At the bottom of the walls along the perimeter of the room they fix damper tape up to 12 cm high. After pouring and drying concrete screed Remaining tape can be removed.
- The concrete is poured with the prepared mixture and left until completely dry.
Important! 5 days after pouring, the beacons are dismantled, and the existing voids are filled with the mixture. For the first 10 days, the floor is thoroughly moistened with water up to 3 times a day.
Laying technology for leaking wooden floors
A step-by-step guide to installing a leaking floor provides for step-by-step work: preparing the underground, installing joists and wooden flooring.
Preparation of the underground
In order for water entering the underground to be discharged into the ground, it is necessary to properly prepare the base - for this, the top layer of soil is cut off and a waterproofing cushion made of small crushed stone up to 26 cm thick is backfilled.
For soils with a low level of moisture absorption, soil removal is carried out at a slight angle, and wastewater is discharged into a 30-centimeter pit through sewer pipe. The soil is covered with clay and leveled.
Important! Before filling the pillows, install supports under wooden joists, and also build a foundation for heating equipment.
Installation of support beams
How to install logs correctly? They are mounted on concrete supports equipped with a brick stand. The height of the lag is determined by the height of the pillars (column foundation) or strips (strip foundation).
The installation of the logs is carried out opposite the short wall of the building. To avoid deformation of the joists or their swelling, the supports are covered with a double layer of waterproofing made of roofing felt treated with hot bitumen.
To ensure natural ventilation when laying logs to the walls, a minimum technological gap of 4 cm should be observed.
Wood flooring
To lay the floor, use boards that are fixed perpendicular to the installed joists. In this case, it is necessary to maintain 5 mm gaps between individual floor elements and 2.5 cm between boards and walls. The wooden panel is fixed to the joists using metal nails.
Technology for laying leak-proof wooden floors
The installation of a wooden floor in a bathhouse involves the installation of support beams similar to the previous option, with the formation of an inclined surface for effective drainage of wastewater.
Installation of the floor in the bathhouse is carried out in the following order:
- Organization of water intake system. The first stage of installing a non-leaky floor is the organization of a water intake measuring 45 × 45 cm, located between the supports and thermally insulated with a solution of clay or cement. The depth of the water intake is 35 cm. At a height of 3 cm from the bottom of the receiver, at a slight slope, a pipe is installed to discharge wastewater into a drainage well or pit.
- Installation of subfloor. After installing the logs on the support pillars, the subfloor is fixed - a sheet of cheap material, for example, a second-grade board. Hydro-, heat- and vapor barrier is laid on the boards in layers to protect against moisture.
- Fixation of the finishing coating. The installed logs are covered with a finishing coating made of tongue-and-groove boards with a low moisture absorption coefficient. Along the perimeter of the room, a gap of 2 cm is maintained from the walls for natural ventilation. The boards are fixed with nails at an angle of 50 degrees. Finally, decorative plinth is installed.
Important! Cladding of wall surfaces is carried out on top installed baseboard to prevent condensation from collecting under the baseboard.
Effective protection of joists and floor coverings from rotting
To prevent the bathhouse floor from rotting, experts recommend treating it with heat-resistant water-based varnish. Such a coating can withstand heating temperatures of over 100 degrees, providing surfaces reliable protection from high humidity, hot steam and dirt.
Protective varnish is applied to wooden base brush in several layers. Work is carried out in a well-ventilated room at an air temperature of 4 to 28 degrees.
If you are installing a wooden floor in a leaky bathhouse, then protective composition applied to the topcoat and support joists.
Laying floors in a bathhouse 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 bathhouse can master the technology of laying floors with his own hands.
The floor in the steam room is the most critical moment when building a bathhouse. This article will discuss how to do bath floor with your own hands. Wooden and concrete floors are the main types that are used in a modern Russian bathhouse. 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
Leaking a wooden floor, as its name implies, is made when it is necessary for water to pass freely through the gaps between the floorboards and be removed from the underground space to the outside. Compared to other types, a leaking floor has simple design and, accordingly, the easiest to manufacture. It can only be used in regions with warm climates, as it does not have thermal insulation. In any case, when building a bathhouse with your own hands, I would recommend being careful when choosing this type of floor.
Leak-proof A wooden floor is made from tightly fitted tongue and groove boards. In the washing compartment, it is made inclined towards the drain ladder, which ensures free discharge of waste water into the general sewer system or drainage pit. For a steam room, making a drain does not make sense, as this will significantly increase the cost of its production. After all, when visiting a steam room, we won’t pour buckets of water there! For better cleaning The steam room can be made with a double-sided floor slope - this is quite enough for its convenient maintenance. When installing a leak-proof floor, insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier are done, 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 costs of its construction are higher, operational properties it is significantly superior to any kind made of wood. If desired, you can easily insulate it, lay ceramic tiles and drain the water. Great solution It would be possible to install a heated floor in the steam room or washing department, which would greatly facilitate their maintenance.
Description of the floor design
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 it will be achieved important goal– heat preservation 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 bathhouse. In accordance with this, the design of the reduced floor for the steam room has its own characteristics.
Basic materials
Finish floor. The best material The floor in the bathhouse is larch. Its hardness and wear resistance are comparable to oak. The only obstacle to its use is its price. The same board made of pine will cost 2-3 times less. If it is possible to get larch by paying the appropriate money for it, then it is - best option. Otherwise, you can use tongue and groove boards made of pine, fir, alder and birch. For elements located below the finished floor, pine can be used.
It is important to note that when laying the floor, the boards must be well dried. During the operation of the steam room, damp boards will dry out, changing their geometry: bending and twisting. This may be the reason for the appearance of gaps between the boards or the tearing out of screws at the points of attachment to the joists. The thicker the board, the greater the deformation forces. A board with a thickness of 20-25 mm has the least tendency to deform, but its strength properties are lower. This disadvantage is compensated for by laying additional joists. In our example, a well-dried tongue-and-groove board 36 mm thick and 120 mm wide was used to lay the finished floor.
For insulation We take basalt wool “Rockwool” 80x600x1200 mm. We will make waterproofing and vapor barrier from a windproof waterproofing membrane like “Tyvek Housewrap”. The advantage of this film is that it has a one-way permeability, due to which it does not allow moisture to pass through from the outside, and from the inside it allows accumulated moisture and steam to freely escape from the insulation. More details about the materials used for insulation can be found in the article.
Other wooden structures we make from dried lumber:
- Backing beams 70x100x2960 mm (thickness, width, length);
- Logs 50x180x2460 mm;
- Skull block 40x40 mm;
- For the subfloor, unedged board or waste edged board 20-25 mm thick and 100-150 mm wide.
board or waste edged board for subfloor 20-25 mm thick and 100-150 mm wide.
Composition and design features of the floor
To achieve the required elevation, in our example, support beams with a cross section of 70x100 mm were used. They will greatly help when installing floor joists, when it will be necessary to align them relative to the horizontal level. In addition, the floor structure will receive additional strength, since the support beams will take on part of the load on the floor.
Below is the list constituent elements, the assembly order of which corresponds to the order of laying the floor.
- The outer support beams are laid on a surface covered with two layers of rolled roofing felt. The central beam rests on the two ends opposite walls strip foundation, and the central part is on the surface of two support pillars.
- On top of the support beams there are logs, which are cut to length with a slope of 20 mm on both sides towards the center. Skull blocks are nailed to the joists below for installing a subfloor on them.
- A moisture-proof membrane with an outlet of 20-25 cm is laid on top of the subfloor for subsequent gluing with the waterproofing of the walls of the steam room.
- Mats are laid on the subfloor boards on top of the membrane basalt wool, over which a layer of moisture and vapor barrier membrane is stretched.
- The structure is completed with a finished floor made of tongue and groove boards.
Particular attention must be paid to ensuring that ventilation gap within 20-30 mm 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 the 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 finished floor. Only in this case will free air circulation be ensured both under the floor and under the lining. Hot air circulating through the ventilation gaps of the sheathed wall will draw cooler, more humid air from the crawl space. The floor will be dry and not susceptible to rotting.
When installing logs and support beams, 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 don’t want bark beetles to get there.
Methods of fastening structural elements
The quality of the work done depends on how we carry out these important operations. Before you begin installing the floor, you need to clearly understand what fasteners to use and how to connect all the structural elements to each other. Below are possible ways fastenings
Manufacturing of support pillars
To prevent the logs from deflecting due to the weight of people or steam room equipment, it is necessary to make support pillars (chairs) for them in the weakest places. The most weak point, naturally, will be the center of the log. In our example, it is enough to install two supports with a cross 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.
Preparing the base
- Mark places for support tables.
- Dig a hole 400 mm deep. The dimensions of the pit in plan should be such that it would be easy to install formwork from edged boards.
- Place a layer of sand at the bottom of the hole, pour water on it, and compact it with an unnecessary piece of wood. The thickness of the compacted layer should be about 100 mm.
- Pour 150 mm thick crushed stone on top of the sand layer and compact it well too. As a result, we should have a total layer with a height of 250 mm.
- Build formwork from edged boards for a square post 250 x 250 mm, inner surface which to cover with rolled roofing felt. The height of the formwork should ensure that concrete is poured to the top level of the strip foundation.
- Place inside the formwork steel reinforcement made of ø10 mm rod in the form of a flat lattice with four cells 75 x 75 mm. Tie the rods together steel wire. Place broken bricks under the grating so that the distance from the reinforcement to the crushed stone layer is about 50 mm, and from the walls of the formwork no more than 50 mm.
Pouring concrete
- Prepare a concrete solution in the ratio cement: sand: fine gravel – 1: 3: 5. The consistency of the solution should be above average, allowing it to be compacted well.
- Pour a 50 mm thick layer of concrete and compact it. Place steel reinforcement on it from a ø10 mm bar in the form of a flat lattice 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.
- Place the rest of the concrete mortar on top of the reinforcement, compact it, level it on top of the formwork and make the screed with an even block or lath.
- Leave for a couple of days for the concrete to set. When the concrete is sufficiently strong, it’s time to begin installing the floor.
- All subsequent work on installing the support beams and, in general, all the logs in general, depends on how the support pillars are made and their level relative to the upper level of the bathhouse foundation. Therefore, in order to make your work easier, the supporting platforms of the pillars should be as close as possible to the conventional plane passing along the upper surfaces of the walls of the bathhouse foundation.
The procedure for arranging the floor in a bathhouse
Before starting installation you need everything wooden elements treat the floor structures in several layers. Treat the support areas of the pillars and the upper surface of the strip foundation with liquid tar and lay the rolled roofing felt in 2 layers.
Installation of support beams
To ensure proper rest in country house or at the dacha they build baths or saunas. The most important element When constructing a bathhouse, the floor is used. Wood is traditionally considered the best material for constructing a floor in a bathhouse. This is an environmentally friendly material, easy to process, and has low thermal conductivity. When heated, the tree emits healthy phytoncides and a pleasant aroma.
Bathroom flooring is exposed to moisture and large temperature changes. The quality and proper installation of a wooden floor in a bathhouse determines its service life and the comfort of bathing procedures.
There are 2 types of wooden floors in bathhouses: leaking and solid (not leaking). Sometimes concrete floors are also installed with wooden gratings.
Preparation stage
Diagram of a leaking floor in a bathhouse.
- wood hacksaw;
- carpenter's axe;
- construction level;
- hammer;
- galvanized nails;
- timber 50x150 mm (for logs) or logs with a diameter of at least 15 cm;
- edged boards 40x150 mm (for floors)
- unedged boards for subfloors;
- tongue and groove floorboards (for solid floors);
- expanded clay;
- waterproofing film;
- sewer pipe with a diameter of about 110 mm;
- crushed stone;
- clay;
- antiseptic solution.
Having prepared the required material and tools, and chosen the type of floor, we begin its construction.
Floor leaking
This is the simplest type of floor; water from its surface between the cracks of the boards flows directly into the ground under the bathhouse. The installation of such a floor is cheaper and less labor-intensive. Its main disadvantage is that its surface is cold. To build such a floor, you need:
- Level and clean the soil surface inside the foundation.
- Select the soil before the sand, if this is not possible, pour and compact a layer of sand about 15 cm high.
- Mark the installation locations for the joists.
- Install supports under the logs from brick or concrete mortar to the height of the foundation.
- Place and compact a layer of crushed stone about 10 cm thick on the surface.
- Prepare joists across the width of the floor and lay them on supports; put roofing felt waterproofing under the joists. The height of the logs should be at the level of the mortgage crown of the bathhouse frame. It is necessary to leave a ventilation gap of at least 3 cm between the ends of the joists and the wall. The horizontal installation of the joists is checked by a level.
- Planed boards are cut along the width of the room for laying on logs (they should not reach the walls by about 2 cm on each side, for ventilation of the underground).
- Prepared boards, galvanized with nails, are attached to the joists with a gap between their ends of about 10 mm (for water drainage and ventilation).
- All wood products are pre-impregnated with an antiseptic.
Leak-proof wooden floor
a, b – leaky floors, c – non-leaky floors, d – inclined tray.
1 – filter trench, 2 – foundation, 3 – logs covered with ruderoid, 4 – leaking floor, 5 – solid floor, 6 – waterproofing, 7 – concrete catch basin,
8 – waterproofing, 9 – stainless steel tray, 10 – wooden grate, 11 – wooden frame for the tray, 12 – gutter, water conduit.
Water that gets onto the surface of this type of floor flows into a special hole (ladder) and into a drainage tank, and then through a drain pipe it is discharged outside the bathhouse. Its design provides for a black, insulated floor. Installing a solid wooden floor is more difficult and more expensive.
The procedure for creating a floor in a bathhouse is as follows:
- A layer of soil is removed from inside the foundation. A layer (about 20 cm) of sand is poured and compacted.
- The locations for installing the logs are marked. Support columns are installed under the logs (to the height of the bathhouse foundation).
- A layer of gravel about 10 cm thick is laid on the sand.
- Logs are installed on the supports (should be slightly higher than the embedded crown) with a slope of approximately 10° to the outer wall.
- At the foundation outer wall a drain chute is created from concrete or from a plastic pipe, cut in half, with a diameter of at least 250 mm. The gutter is installed flush with the backfill surface.
- A 50x50 mm block is nailed to the bottom of the log (on both sides).
- The subfloor is laid on unedged boards.
- The surface of the subfloor is covered with a waterproofing film, onto which insulation (expanded clay) is poured to the height of the log.
- The surface of the expanded clay is covered with waterproofing material.
- A drainage pipe is attached to one edge of the gutter, through which water will be discharged outside the bathhouse. The second end of the gutter is closed with a plate.
- The boards are laid with tongue and groove inside the room and secured (with galvanized nails) with a slope towards the receiving chute. To organize ventilation of the subfloor, a gap of about 10 mm is left from the walls to the end of the boards, along which water will flow into the gutter and then out.
- A plinth is installed on 3 sides of the walls, covering the gap between the boards and the wall of the log house. The slot for draining water is left open.
- All wood products are treated with an antiseptic before installation.
Building your own steam room is a multi-stage process in which each stage is of decisive importance. And the installation of a bathhouse floor is, of course, no exception. To ensure water drainage, ventilation, heat and waterproofing, it is necessary to observe simple, but important rules installation It should also be taken into account that the service life of the floor will depend on the quality of the source material and the chosen construction technology. If the question of what kind of bath floor to make is more relevant than ever for you, then this article will help you understand the types of bath floors and the intricacies of their installation.
To build the right bathhouse floor, you first need to decide what material it will be made of. Today, two options are recognized as the most acceptable: wooden and concrete floors. Each has its own advantages and nuances of arrangement, which means that it is impossible to do without appropriate theoretical preparation.
Wooden floor
A classic solution that has not lost popularity for many years. Even the intensive development of the construction market cannot erase the natural advantages. Wooden floors:
- environmentally friendly and absolutely safe for health;
- aesthetically attractive and able to demonstrate the impeccable taste of the owner of the steam room;
- do not require a lot of time for construction (compared to concrete analogues);
- They bring a cozy and comfortable atmosphere to the bathhouse.
Varieties
When building a bathhouse with your own hands, floors (depending on the design) are divided into leaky and non-leaky. In the first case, single-level floorboards are laid, allowing water to escape through the cracks and then be absorbed into the soil under the foundation. One of the disadvantages of leaking floors is the impossibility of insulation, because... The floorboards are removed and dried after each use.
In the second, installation is carried out with a slight inclination towards the drain hole, equipped with a water collector and an outlet pipe leading to the septic tank. The leak-proof design requires the installation of a subfloor and insulation with expanded clay. This method more expensive and labor-intensive, but in terms of convenience and practicality it has no equal.
Arrangement of support racks
It is not difficult to lay a wooden floor for a bathhouse with your own hands. To do this, you will need logs with a cross section of 18 cm or beams 15x15 cm on which the flooring boards will be attached. Please note that lags account for high load, therefore they must be laid on supports made of reinforced concrete or brick. The thickness of the racks is at least 15 cm, the width of the platform under them is 7 cm larger than the supports themselves.
As for the height, this indicator is identical to the height of the edge of the base (with strip foundation). If the foundation is columnar, then the wooden logs rest on the beams of the embedded crown, and the top of the support posts must coincide with these beams. Before installation, the log supports are covered with waterproofing (tar paper, roofing felt, bitumen or glassine).
Construction of the underground
The next stage of solving the problem of “how to lay a floor in a bathhouse” is the construction of a subfloor. For a leaking floor on soil with a high degree of absorbency, it will be enough to pour crushed stone (25 cm) into the underground. If the soil does not absorb moisture well, then it becomes mandatory to install a container for drainage. To do this, a clay castle is built on the ground at an angle towards the pit.
If you decide to install the floor in a non-leaking bathhouse yourself, then the subfloor is insulated using expanded clay, leaving 15 cm to the log (for ventilation).
Laying joists and flooring boards
Under a leaky floor, logs are laid away from any wall, under a non-leaking floor - with an inclination to the side. Let's start laying the boards. For a non-leakage floor, first a base floor (subfloor) with thermal and waterproofing is installed, onto which tongue and groove boards are then attached. Please note that the groove of the boards is directed inside the bathhouse; fastening to the logs is done with cap screws or nails.
Laying the floor in a leaky bathhouse takes less time and effort. The boards are sawed so that there is a gap of 2 cm between them and the wall. It is recommended to nail the first floorboard with nails whose thickness is twice the thickness of the board. The following floorboards are laid in 3 cm increments.
Concrete floor
Concrete flooring has many advantages, which often become decisive when choosing:
- not afraid of high humidity and temperature changes;
- not subject to rotting;
- has a long service life;
- easy to care for.
Important points
The soil is carefully compacted, and a cushion of crushed stone impregnated with bitumen (150 mm) is formed on it. In this case, crushed stone will be able not only to withstand loads, but also to distribute them evenly.
In order to get rid of one of the main disadvantages of a concrete floor (it is cold), you should think about insulation. The problem can be solved in two ways: lay the base in 2 layers, placing thermal insulation between the layers, or form a thermal insulation layer on top of the concrete, on which to install a warm wood floor.
For double laying, it is necessary to properly prepare the concrete solution. For the bottom layer, the mixture should include large crushed stone fractions (35 mm in size). The thickness of this layer is 150 mm. If the bathhouse is small, then the screed is laid on the entire base at once, otherwise it is more convenient to divide the area using wooden guides into 1000 mm strips. The screed will turn out beautiful and even.
For the top layer, it is more advisable to prepare a mixture of small fractions. Level the floor with special care and compact it tightly. Concrete gains strength within a few days. Don’t forget to take care of it - don’t let it dry out, moisten the surface previously covered with sawdust every day.
Insulation of concrete floor
Regardless of the chosen insulation, it should be laid on waterproofing. Most often used for waterproofing polyethylene film or roofing felt. You can purchase a liquid solution. Before application coating waterproofing the surface is primed.
After the bottom layer has dried, you can begin insulation. Different materials are used for this:
- expanded clay gravel and sand;
- boiler slag;
- mineral wool slabs;
- expanded polystyrene (polpan);
- foam concrete.
Each of the listed components has both advantages and disadvantages. For example, expanded clay gravel is expensive, and the thickness required to achieve normal thermal conductivity compared to boiler slag will be much smaller. Polystyrene is an excellent insulation material, but it is powerless against the influence of rodents and can deteriorate over time. Foambet could win the laurels of “the very best”, but it is hygroscopic.
Use of modern technologies
Technologies of the current century offer new ways of arranging a concrete floor in a bathhouse. Laying tiles is increasingly being used, bypassing the formation of a second layer of concrete screed. This method requires strict adherence to the sequence of construction work.
Waterproofing is laid over the thermal insulation, and a screed is formed from a special cement on top, the properties of which allow the coating to be only 15 mm thick to serve as a reliable basis for the finishing floor made of ceramic tiles. Tile samples are glued to a thin layer of adhesive, which firmly fixes the material. This flooring is characterized by a long service life, ease of maintenance and excellent appearance.
Now you know what types of floors there are and how to make a floor in a bathhouse, which will be a thoughtful solution that complements and decorates your steam room - the best place for relaxation and recovery.
Installing a floor in a bathhouse: video