Fixing the floor in the bathhouse. DIY sauna floors. Video: laying tiles while creating the required slope to collect water

Preface

Construction of the floor in the steam room is a very important stage in the construction of a sauna. The floor must be adapted to high temperatures and humidity. Anyone can make a bathhouse floor with their own hands – we’ll tell you how.

Choosing a bath floor design

Compared to living spaces, bath floors require a special approach. Under the influence of extreme heat and constant humidity, the structural elements of a wooden floor are susceptible to rotting. Therefore, it is very important to competently approach the choice of the type of underground structure. It is much better to think about how to make a floor in a bathhouse at the design stage of the structure itself.

In bathhouse construction, the most common are floor concrete or. The main task when arranging the floor is to drain the water that constantly flows during bathing procedures. Depending on the method of drainage, the wooden floor in the bathhouse can be made leaky or non-leaky.

As for the leaking type of floor, such a structure is inexpensive option. Such a design is quite easy to make. In order to arrange good drainage, you need to lay boards on the joists. Such flooring must have slots to ensure drainage directly to the ground.

To collect water in the underground bathhouse, a drainage pit is built. Therefore, sewerage is not required in this case. Due to the fact that the floor covering is slotted, the floor is not insulated. Therefore, a self-made bathhouse with this type of floor is only suitable for use in warm period of the year.

As for a non-leakage floor, this type is much more complicated to construct than the first option. This design is made from several rows of boards. A subfloor is made from the first row, which involves attaching boards to the bottom of the joists. Uneven second-grade boards may be suitable for this purpose.

The second row is laid directly on the logs. This must be done without gaps, so for convenience you can use boards with tongue and groove. Experts recommend using larch boards at this stage. It is also possible to pay attention to pine wood. Among coniferous trees, fir is well suited for baths. As a rule, heat-insulating materials are placed in the inter-row space.

The finishing floor must be laid at a slight inclination in the direction of water collection. This will help drain the wastewater into the sewer or septic tank. It is also necessary to connect the siphon to the pre-made hole in the lower part of the wooden base. Using a tray that runs the entire length of the floor, you can get rid of additional holes. The tray must be positioned at an angle towards the collection point for contaminated wastewater.

Secrets of arranging a wooden floor in a bathhouse

Among the main advantages of wooden flooring is the environmental friendliness of the material. With such a floor, the bathhouse will look very solid. Compared with other types of flooring, using wood will be significantly cheaper. The main advantages of a wooden bath floor include: high speed installation

Before installing the logs, it is necessary to build support chairs. They can be made from either brick or monolithic reinforced concrete. When using the first option, you will need to build a concrete platform under each support.

For support chairs, a hole is usually made 40–50 cm deep. After this, you need to make a cushion, which will require a layer of sand of about 10 cm. Then 15 cm of crushed stone is poured in. All this must be thoroughly compacted. Upon completion, a frame is created from reinforcement, after which concrete is poured. It is imperative to take into account that the supports are at the same level and rise 10–20 cm above the ground surface. The poured concrete must be allowed to cure to gain strength. Therefore, the following actions must be performed a week after pouring the concrete mixture.

When the strength of the support chairs has been gained, you can begin to waterproof them. The first step is to apply liquid bitumen. After this, it is advisable to lay the roofing material.

The next stage of creating a wooden floor covering in a bathhouse with your own hands is laying the logs. This process depends on the type of floor structure. For example, for a non-leakage floor, it is necessary to arrange a slope of the flooring of 10 degrees. For this purpose, notches are created in the bars. They need to be made more when approaching the waste pit. If a leaking floor is used, the joists must be laid at the same level.

Once this process is complete, the floor boards are laid. This stage also differs depending on the floor construction. In the case of a non-leaking floor, tongue and groove beams are used. The work itself is carried out in three stages - creating a subfloor, thermal and waterproofing, laying the finished floor.

For leaking floors, cut boards are used. They must be laid at a distance of 5 mm from each other. Such gaps will make it possible to drain water from the floor surface. Be sure to make a technological gap of 2 cm near the walls.

Construction of a leak-proof floor - little things you need to know

The floor design resembles a multi-layer cake. As mentioned above, a subfloor is required to apply the thermal insulation layer. Any boards, including waste, are used for it. It is important to treat the wood with antiseptic materials and clean it of bark. You also need to pay attention to the thickness of the boards; they should not be thinner than 20–25 mm.

For thermal insulation works needs to be laid on a subfloor waterproofing membrane. This material should extend 20–30 cm onto the wall. All joists must be covered with a continuous layer of such a membrane. You can attach it using a stapler. Fastening should be done to the side of the joist in 10–15 cm increments. If the film size is not enough, then the new layer will need to be overlapped with the previous one by 20–30 cm. Two layers of the membrane can be connected to each other using self-adhesive tape.

Next, you can begin laying the insulating material. It is recommended to leave a small gap (no more than 1–2 cm) between the top layer of the floor and the insulation. Some experts advise when using basalt wool Lay another layer of waterproofing on top of it.

Now you can start creating the finished floor. To do this, first of all, attach a 2 cm thick strip along the wall. In this case, it is advisable to use wood screws. Such slats are necessary to create support for the floor boards.

The beams begin to be laid from the wall. They are attached to the joists using self-tapping screws, the heads of which must be recessed. Thanks to the tenons in the boards, they are attached quite easily. To do this, you need to insert each one into the groove of the previous board. Therefore, the tenon of the first plank should be directed towards the wall. Floor boards must be laid in such a way that water flows across the beams.

Concrete floor in a bathhouse - what you need to know

Creating such a floor covering with your own hands is carried out in several stages. The first step is to compact the soil base. It is required to make a sand and crushed stone cushion. Most often, a layer of 15–20 cm is made. They begin to tilt towards the pit even at the stage of soil compaction.

Before pouring the first layer of concrete, it is necessary to build a pit from which a sewer pipe should exit into the drainage ditch. In the case of drainage into the ground, it is necessary to make vents in the bathhouse. For this you can use asbestos pipes. Such holes are made to remove the bathhouse from the room unpleasant odors. When draining wastewater into a sewer through a pipe, its receiving edge must be provided with a shutter.

Next, concrete is poured at 5 cm. After the mixture has hardened, expanded clay is poured or felt is laid. Waterproofing is a must. Another reinforced layer of concrete is poured on top of the insulation. After this stage, it is recommended to use leveling mixtures. Now you can begin laying the flooring.

The concrete floor in the bathhouse is very cold. Therefore, you will need to make it warm. To do this, you can implement electric or water heated floors. It is better to lay a moisture-resistant wooden covering on top of the concrete. Due to this, the floor surface will always be warm and comfortable for your feet.

The bathhouse is a “wet” room and all its structural elements should be built taking this feature into account. First of all, this concerns the floor in the steam room and washing department, because it is he who is responsible for drainage. Our conversation will focus on the types of floors for baths and the technology for making them yourself.

Types of bath floors

First of all, bath floors differ in material. As in residential premises, they can be:

Installing a concrete floor is an expensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but this option is also more durable: the service life is about 50 years. With a floor made of boards, it’s the other way around: it’s cheap, and you’ll have to tinker less, but it will only last for 7–8 years. After this period, the wood will need to be replaced.

There are no outsiders among these types, and both are quite in demand, so we will consider both options in detail.

Plank floor

Floors of this type are divided into two more types:

In the first case, the floor is like a grate through which water flows directly onto the ground underneath. This is the simplest and cheapest option. It is clear that with cracks in the floor, the bathhouse can only be used in summer, that is this design most suitable for summer residents.

The leak-proof plank floor is continuous. It is given a slope towards one of the walls along which it is installed plastic gutter to collect water. The gutter, in turn, has a slope towards the drain hole. Since the underground space cannot get wet if installed correctly, insulation can be placed here, so this type of floor can be considered acceptable for baths used year-round.

Selection of materials and calculation of their quantities

Both leaky and non-leaky flooring consists of planks laid on beams called joists. The logs, in turn, rest on the foundation or grillage (if the foundation is columnar), and, if necessary, also on intermediate columns. Before starting work on arranging a plank floor, you need to determine a number of parameters.

Lag section

The cross-sectional dimensions of the logs are selected taking into account the expected distance between the supports. With a standard floor load (up to 300 kg/sq. m), the following relationship takes place:

with a distance between supports of 2 m: section dimensions - 110x60 mm;
at 3 m: 150x80 mm;
at 4 m: 180x100 mm;
at 5 m: 200x150 mm;
at 6 m: 220x180 mm.

If the distance between the walls exceeds the load-bearing capacity of the existing timber, one or more intermediate supports - the so-called chairs - must be installed on the ground base in the middle of the span. They are usually brick pillars with plan dimensions of 250x250 mm, installed on a low concrete foundation with plan dimensions of 350x350 mm.

There is also a simpler version of the “chair”: an asbestos-cement pipe of sufficient diameter is dug into the ground, and then concrete or cement mortar is poured into it.

If there is no timber of suitable thickness available, the logs can be made composite by installing several thinner boards nearby, which together will give the required thickness. Since such a structure, unlike a solid beam, is not monolithic, its height should be taken 10–20 mm higher than indicated in the list just given.

Step between joists

Knowing the installation step of the logs, the builder will be able to calculate the amount of timber for their manufacture and the volume of materials for the support posts.

The pitch will depend on the thickness of the finishing boards. You should be guided by the following dependence:

To make the flooring, you should use a smooth planed board of the 1st or 2nd grade. Aspen is considered the most preferred species - it is resistant to moisture and is warm to the touch. Oak also tolerates high humidity well, but it is colder.

You can also use coniferous wood, but you need to be prepared for the fact that the resin protruding from them can appear in the form of unsightly stains and even cause allergies in some users.

When calculating the number of boards for a leaking floor, you should take into account the width of the gap between them - 5–7 mm.

Do-it-yourself leaking plank floor for a sauna or bathhouse: a step-by-step guide

The technology includes the following stages: preparing the base, laying the logs and installing the flooring.

Preparing the soil base

The preparation method depends on what type of soil under the bathhouse is and how it is decided to dispose of the wastewater. There are two options:

the soil has good drainage properties (sandy or rocky);
the soil does not allow water to pass through well (clayey, loamy, sandy loam).

In the first case, it is enough to install a filter under the floor made of crushed stone or gravel, covered with a layer of 25 cm. The soil should be excavated to such a depth that there is a distance of at least 10 cm from the top of the filter to the bottom of the log.

If the soil does not absorb water, do the following:

On the ground under the floor, a crushed stone cushion is placed with a 10-degree slope towards the pit, and on top of it - one of two things:

a waterproof pallet made of roofing felt, the sheets of which are welded or glued together with bitumen mastic;
clay castle 80–100 mm thick.

To make a lock, you need to soak the clay in water and make a thick solution out of it. When laying it, it must be carefully leveled, and then, when the coating dries slightly, iron it, slightly moistening it with water.

Important! Before filling with crushed stone, do not forget to install support posts for logs, if needed, and a foundation for the furnace.

Laying lags

The joists should be laid so that the long side of the cross section is vertical. When installing a leaking floor, they are laid parallel to the shortest wall of the room. The joists should not directly touch the foundation or support posts. It is necessary to lay them on pads made of 2 or 3 layers of roofing felt, coated with dissolved in diesel fuel or molten bitumen.

Advice. For those who are willing to spend a little more, we can recommend using a modern waterproofing agent - eurobitumen, as it is more effective.

Flooring installation

As already mentioned, finished flooring boards are laid with a gap of 5–7 mm. It is advisable not to nail the flooring to the joists, but to make it in the form of several removable panels, nailing several boards to two crossbars. The latter are positioned so that when laying the shield they end up between the joists. The removable floor can be taken outside to dry, which will significantly extend its service life.

Important! The boards should not come close to the walls - there should be a gap of 20 mm around the perimeter of the flooring.

Note! It is important to provide in the foundation of the bathhouse, if it is solid, openings (vents) through which the underground space will be ventilated.

Leak-proof plank covering

The flooring of a non-leaking floor is made of a tongue and groove board, that is, one that has a groove along the edges and a corresponding ridge for a locking connection. Thanks to the lock, the coating is waterproof.

The step-by-step instructions look like this:

As in the case of a non-leaking floor, a 25 cm thick bedding is placed on top of the compacted soil, but since the non-leaking floor is insulated, it is better to use expanded clay instead of crushed stone. The soil must be removed to such a depth that from the top of the backfill to the bottom wooden structures there was a distance of at least 150 mm. Although the penetration of water into the underground space is excluded, in this case it must also be well ventilated, for which vents must be installed in the foundation. This will prevent the wood from rotting underneath.
We lay logs on the foundation and support columns. When installing a non-leakage floor, they should be directed across the water drain. With this design, moisture will flow along the boards along the wood fibers, that is, with minimal resistance.
Having exposed the logs, the so-called subfloor is nailed to them from below - a sheet of the cheapest, waste material, for example, cut croaker. A heat insulator will later be placed on this structural element. It should also be pre-treated with an antiseptic.
Next, the logs with the subfloor need to be covered with a vapor barrier film. It is pressed into the gaps between the beams, as a result of which it fits both them and the filing. The edges of the film should extend approximately 100 mm onto the walls.
Insulation is laid between the joists. In this case, it is better to use mineral wool for this purpose, since it is not of interest to rodents. If polystyrene foam is laid and the mice manage to get to it, then in conditions suburban area It is very likely that they will gnaw out entire holes in this material.
The top of the insulation is covered with a film with water vapor barrier properties. It should also be released onto the wall.
On top of the logs we put a continuous flooring of tongue and groove boards. Do not forget that a gap of 20 mm should be left around the entire perimeter. Each board is nailed to the joists with two nails, and they should be driven in at an angle of 45 degrees - then the boards will be pressed against each other as tightly as possible. At first, it is recommended to simply “grab” the boards, but the final adjustment and fixation is best done after they are finished Finishing work and the bathhouse will be dried.

Note! Before laying the logs, you need to prepare them in a special way, because it is with their help that the slope towards the gutter is formed. As the water moves, the wood is cut off from the beams, reducing their height more and more, and in addition, the cutting on one side is increased by 2–3 mm so that the logs lie with some inclination. The slope should be 10 degrees. In addition, the wood must be impregnated with an antiseptic. To treat bath floor boards, you should use only an environmentally friendly antiseptic, for example, Neomid 200.

After installing the finished floor covering, you need to trim the film sticking out from under it and sew it to the walls.

Note! The wall sheathing should lie on top of the baseboard so that moisture flowing down it does not penetrate under it.

All that remains is to install an inclined gutter along one of the walls with a drain hole connected to the sewer.

Please note that a regular water seal is not suitable for bath drains - it will dry out during long periods of downtime. A so-called dry valve should be used, the main element of which is a hollow light ball or a valve made of buoyant material. The water entering the drain will cause the ball or valve to float, opening the drain hole. When the flow dries up, the shut-off element will lower under its own weight and close the hole, thus preventing the penetration of odors from the sewer.

Construction of a concrete base

Anyone who prefers a concrete floor needs to do the following:

Thoroughly compact the soil base.
Pour and compact a layer of expanded clay 150 mm thick on top.
Fill concrete preparation 50 mm thick, having previously laid a mesh of thin reinforcement on the expanded clay.
Treat the corners between the walls and the floor with waterproofing mastic or lay a strip of roofing material in this place, so that 500 mm of its width is on the wall, and 200 mm on the floor. It is recommended to apply such protection after each layer - it will prevent moisture from penetrating into the underlying layers, which could cause the development of mold and mildew in them.
Reinstall and connect the lower part of the drain drain to the sewer.

The drain consists of two parts, each of which has a flange. The part with the upper flange needs to be temporarily disconnected, and the lower one, which we will now install, must be covered with tape or plastic film so that the solution does not get into it.

Further actions depend on the location of the ladder installation. The line drain (looks like a long tray) just needs to be installed against the wall and connected to the sewer, having well lubricated the connection with sealant.

There is no point in saving sealant: the pipe joint, being filled with screed, will be completely inaccessible, so the likelihood of leakage must be minimized. Moreover, the rubber o-ring will dry out over time (natural aging of rubber) and will not be able to provide a tight seal. We remind you that the drain must be equipped with a dry valve, and not a conventional water seal.

The same should be done with a point drain if it is installed in a corner.

If you want to install a point drain in the middle of the room, you need to calculate its location and installation height.

Location

This point is relevant if the concrete floor is to be covered with ceramic tiles. From an aesthetic point of view, it is important that the ladder is harmoniously combined with such a covering. To do this, you need to calculate its location so that it:

at small sizes tiles: installed instead of one of the tiles;
at large tiles: installed at the junction of two or four tiles symmetrically with respect to them.

Installation height

Having determined the location, the ladder must be raised to such a height that the pipe connecting it to the sewer has the correct slope. Its value depends on the diameter of this pipe:

with a diameter of 30 mm: the slope is 1:20 (5 cm per 1 m);
at 50 mm: 0.02–0.03 (2–3 cm per 1 m).

To set the pipe and drain to the desired height, you need to place wooden pads or insulation under them.

Good to know: drains with adjustable height are available.

Further actions

The next stage is laying the heat insulator. In this case, a material that can withstand loads should be used as insulation. It is cheapest to use expanded clay, but you need to take into account that its thermal conductivity is not the lowest. More effective option- extruded polystyrene foam, which is somewhat more expensive.

Granulated polystyrene foam, which we commonly call polystyrene foam, cannot be used, as it will collapse under load. Extruded one can withstand loads of up to 50 t/sq.m. m. You can recognize it by its structure: it is homogeneous, while granulated polystyrene foam consists of many glued granules of different sizes.

The thickness of the insulation should be such that there is a distance of approximately 35–40 mm from its top to the bottom of the drain flange. If polystyrene foam is used, then grooves need to be cut in its sheets for the drain and sewer pipe.

We install a damper tape around the perimeter of the room immediately above the insulation. This will allow the screed to expand freely when heated. Such a tape should be installed both in the steam room and in the washing compartment, where the floor will be heated by water pouring onto it. hot water.
Place it on top of the insulation cement-sand screed. It fits under the very flange of the ladder, that is, its thickness is the same 35–40 mm. For reliability, this layer can be reinforced with wire. The solution is smoothed out using the following rules and then left to mature.
We lay waterproofing: a reliable waterproofing material, for example, roofing felt or Isoplast membrane, is laid over the entire screed with an outlet on the walls, and a hole is cut in it at the place where the drain is installed, corresponding to the internal diameter of the drainage device. Thus, the flange of the drain is covered with waterproofing.
For greater reliability, you can lay one or two more fragments of waterproofing material measuring approximately 1x1 m on top of the ladder, cutting holes in them in the same way. It is also necessary to make small holes in the waterproofing above the mounting holes of the flange.
We screw the upper part of the drain into place: first, the sealing ring supplied with the drain is placed on the flange, then the upper part is installed and screwed tightly. The next step will be to pour the screed again, so the drain must again be covered with film from the solution.
We pour another layer of screed, forming a slope towards the ladder.

The required slope for the floor is 1 cm per 1 m of length, that is, 1:100. The shape of the surface will depend on the type and location of the drain:

If it is a long tray and installed along the wall, the floor is given the appearance of a single inclined plane.
If the ladder is a point and stands in a corner, the floor is divided diagonally into two parts and each of them is given the desired slope.
When installing a point drain in the center of the room, the floor is divided diagonally into 4 isosceles triangles, sloping towards the drain.

The slope of the screed is formed using plastic beacons - long slats, one of the edges of which is located at the desired angle. Often such beacons are even included in the gangway kit.

The thickness of the screed is selected so that near the ladder it is below its grating by a thickness finishing coating.

Finally, we apply the topcoat. The concrete floor is quite cold to the touch, so wooden grates are usually laid out on it in the bathhouse. But even in this case, it is worth not limiting yourself to treating the screed with a deep-penetration waterproofing impregnation, but laying a waterproof coating on it, smooth but not slippery. Thanks to it, the floor will be much easier to keep clean.

Can be used as a finishing touch liquid glass or liquid rubber, but most often the floor is covered with waterproof ceramic tiles with an anti-slip effect. The grout should also be waterproof, and it is highly advisable to add an antifungal additive to both it and the tile adhesive.

Work on laying tiles should begin from the ladder and if its location was calculated correctly, the tiles near the walls either do not have to be cut at all, or they will be cut equally at each wall.

The seams are made no more than 3 mm wide; grouting should be done one day after laying the tiles.

Video: installing wooden logs and insulating the bath floor

You can often hear from masters: “Water will always find its way.” This means that the construction of a floor in a bathhouse, even the simplest one that leaks, must be approached very carefully. Using our advice, you will be able to build a reliable structure that will serve you for many years.

Bath floors undergo serious testing during operation. Wood is not resistant to stress. The weight of the stove, constant contact with water and detergents, lead to damage to the floors. Sooner or later, floor repairs will be necessary in any bathhouse.

You can carry out this activity yourself, but you need to do everything so that the next repair is required after many years.

The floor in a bathhouse is not an easy platform for safe and comfortable movement of a person. It is included in the drainage system waste water, performing the function of directing the flow into the sewer. Different bathhouses have specific requirements for it.

The most important:

The bath floor should not be an accumulator of moisture, i.e. source of rot, mold, bad odors;
on floor surface water should not accumulate to interfere with the bath procedure;
the cold should not penetrate from below, and bare feet should not feel it;
there should be no danger of a person falling as a result of slipping on a wet surface;
To general requirements should include sufficient durability, resistance to bath conditions, aesthetics and environmental friendliness.

In particularly difficult conditions there is a floor in a steam room, where the temperature can reach 50-60º at its level when exposed to high humidity provided by superheated steam and hot water.

A wooden or concrete floor can be installed here, with the first option being the most common.

A standard bathhouse floor has the following design:

His load-bearing basis are logs installed on the foundation or cut into the basement crown of the log house.
To eliminate the gap between the beams and the ground, support pillars or platforms are installed.
Waterproofing (roofing felt) and insulation (most often bulk type - expanded clay, sawdust, ash) are laid between the joists.
Next, a subfloor is installed in the form of a wooden flooring, on top of which a tiled or roll thermal insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier.
The next element is the required ventilation gap, which is formed by installing a sheathing of beams.
Most upper layer– finishing coating.

The specificity of the floor in the steam room is that it becomes the primary part of the waste system. When constructing it, the problem of quickly removing water from the surface and directing it to drainage receivers is solved. For this purpose they are used different variants structures, the most common of which are leaking and non-leaking floors.

Wooden floors

Wood has been used in the construction of bath floors since ancient times and has proven its reliability.

The logs are made of timber measuring 15x15 or 10x15 cm. They are attached to the foundation using anchors. An insertion is made into the base crown.

Boards with a thickness of at least 20 mm or lining are used as rough and finishing flooring.

Which wood is suitable for replacing flooring?

When repairing a wooden floor is required, you need to think about the fact that the frequency of such an event depends on the right choice wood species In a steam room ideal option the use of larch is recognized.

It is highly water resistant and durable, but is quite expensive. To save money, it can only be used for finishing coating. All internal floor elements can be made from cheaper wood - pine, spruce, birch.

In other bath rooms where there is no excessive humidity, pine is most often used. Here it not only meets all requirements, but is also capable of creating a special, attractive, coniferous aroma.

If desired, the appearance of the coating can be achieved using fir, alder, aspen, ash, or oak.

Preparation before replacing the floor

Before starting the repair of the bath floor, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures:

Assessing the extent of damage

A good reason for carrying out repair work are the following signs - pronounced rotting or mechanical damage to the coating.

The appearance of creaking and sagging when walking
Unpleasant smell
Noticeable deformation of the flooring, swelling

The degree of damage to the floor structure cannot always be determined by external manifestations. To assess their scale, you need to find out the state of the internal elements.

Most simple ways detection of internal defects - a dull sound when tapping the floorboards in some places (this is how rotten areas appear).

Raised nail heads (rotten wood will not hold fasteners). To accurately assess the condition of the floor, you will have to lift the external flooring and conduct a visual inspection.

Determining the type of work

Repairs can be current or major.

In the first case, work is carried out without opening the entire floor covering. This may include removing surface defects with a plane or sander, or replacing individual deck boards.

Major repairs will be required if internal elements are damaged. This will require opening up the entire exterior decking and subfloor and replacing the joists.

Purchase of necessary lumber (timber, lining, slats, boards).

Preparation of material and work site

At this stage, the wood is dried, the surface is treated with a planer, cutting according to the floor configuration, and impregnated with an antiseptic.

To carry out repairs, it is necessary to remove all furniture from the room and clean the floor surface for a detailed inspection of the condition of the flooring.

Features of wooden floors

Depending on the extent of the damage, the following measures may be required:

Leveling the surface

Over time, a wooden floor may lose the smoothness of its outer surface as a result of slight deformation of the elements and shrinkage processes.

If, in general, the floor structure retains sufficient strength, then the repair will consist of leveling the coating. To do this, the surface layer is removed and then planed or sanded. The tools you will need are a plane, a grinder or grinder with a sanding disc, emery cloth, a spatula, and a paint brush.

Replacing or repairing floorboards

Such repairs are needed when individual boards are damaged (rotten) outer covering or the presence of a defect on them that cannot be eliminated once assembled.

For example, significant subsidence of the board or, conversely, bulging outward. To perform the operation, you must carefully lift the right board without damaging the joists.

When the damage can be eliminated, it is processed with a plane until the right size. When a floorboard falls through, a spacer is installed to raise the board to the level of the other elements.

If it is necessary to replace a rotten floorboard, then it is necessary to install a board of exactly the same size, and finally align it with the rest after fixing it.

When supporting elements become unusable, repairs can be carried out in the following ways:

Damage to a small area. In this case, additional supports are installed under the logs along the boundaries of the rotten zone. Then, the damaged part of the timber is cut out and removed. An identical piece of timber is installed in its place. Support posts are installed under it, and the ends of the beams are joined according to the “half-beam” or “tenon-and-groove” pattern.
Replacement of the lag fixed to the foundation. Fastening is carried out using anchors, which means that in order to disassemble such a connection, access to it is necessary. In this case, you will have to cut out a small section of the base crown at the attachment point. After this, the rotten beam is removed, a new one is installed in its place, and the crown section is restored.
Replacement of the log embedded in the filling element of the log house. It should be noted that if the logs are severely damaged, rotting is also detected in the filling element of the bathhouse, so they are changed at the same time. In order to carry out repairs without lifting the entire structure, the wooden beam is cut out and replaced in parts.

Why are there gaps in the floor?

Many bathhouse owners doubt the need for gaps in wooden flooring, and they try to seal them.

Important! When installing a wooden floor, compensation gaps must be formed to prevent deformation and cracking.

Why are gaps necessary, despite the fact that they create “cold bridges”? With significant temperature fluctuations in bath room the wood expands noticeably, which is why a certain amount of space is needed.

In the absence of such dampers, large stresses arise in the material, which can lead to deformation or cracking at the edges of the boards.

A gap of 10-15 mm wide must be left near the wall, and also 2-3 mm in size can be formed between the boards.

Another necessary gap is located under the wooden flooring - the ventilation gap.

Steam, reaching waterproofing, condenses, and there is a risk of moisture accumulation with inside flooring Air flow can eliminate this phenomenon, and therefore this space plays an important role in the operation of the bath floor.

Installation of a leaky floor

One of the common options for a wooden bath floor is a leaky coating. Its essence lies in laying boards in the external flooring at a certain distance from each other.

This design allows water to easily penetrate through wood flooring. Further, water with a small volume of runoff can simply be discharged into the ground under a bathhouse or along drainage system is diverted outside the building.

The main advantages of poured floors are simplicity of design, rapid removal of water from the surface, and the absence of the need for waterproofing and insulation. The main disadvantage is the ability to use a simple system only in the warm season.

For year-round operation, you will have to drain water into the sewer with the installation of insulation under the drainage system.

It makes sense to make a pouring floor only in a steam room. In other rooms this design does not justify itself. The simplest option for arranging such a floor:

Removing soil under the steam room to a depth of 20 - 30 cm.
Backfill the filter cushion with sand and crushed stone 15 - 25 cm thick. You can use ash or expanded clay, which will slightly insulate the floor.
Installation of logs from timber 15x15 or 15x20 cm in increments of 60 - 80 cm.
Lay boards 15–20 cm wide and at least 25 mm thick. A gap of 20 - 30 mm is left between the boards.

A more complex design involves pouring concrete platform under the entire area of the steam room with a thickness of at least 3 cm. To collect and dispose of wastewater, a concrete tray is formed with a slope towards the sewer drain.

The platform is also made with a slope so that from any point in the room water, penetrating through the gaps between the boards, flows by gravity into the tray. Logs are mounted on top, on which a pouring flooring made of boards is installed.

Interesting! The boards of the top flooring of the pouring floor need not be secured to the joists. In this case, after completing the bath procedure, they can be collected and taken outside to dry.

Installation of non-leaking floor

A leak-proof wooden floor is considered universal and visually attractive. Unlike the previous design, the finishing floor covering is made by tightly fitting the boards to each other, which prevents water from escaping into the gaps.

This design allows you to provide a warm floor by laying waterproofing and thermal insulation.

Wastewater is discharged through a special hole in the floor, where a drain or siphon is installed to eliminate unpleasant odors.

Bulk floors

Bulk floors are made using the dry screed principle. If the floor in the bathhouse is no longer satisfactory in terms of quality or warmth, then it can be easily converted into a bulk version using the base of the structure.

To form this floor, a special dry mixture is used, consisting of perlite sand, fine expanded clay and pumice.

The manufacturing technology includes laying film waterproofing and densely filling the dry mixture.

Sheet material (for example, GVLV) is laid on top of such a screed or wooden flooring is laid. Drain pipes are first laid in the thickness of the mixture.

Concrete floor

A common non-spill option is a concrete bath floor. The standard method of its manufacture includes the following steps:

Digging a pit and trench into which the wastewater drainage system is installed.
Backfill the cushion with sand and crushed stone 12–15 cm thick with careful compaction.
Pouring the first concrete layer 5–6 cm thick.
Laying insulation (layer of expanded clay, mineral wool, felt).
Laying a reinforcing element over the entire surface from a chain-link mesh, pouring a layer of concrete 6-8 cm thick.
Pouring a leveling concrete layer up to 10 cm thick.

All concrete pouring is carried out in orientation towards the installed beacons and forms a general slope towards the drain hole. Ultimately, the floor slope is about 10º.

Reference. Concrete coating is a cold surface. To eliminate this drawback, wooden grates are placed on top of it during the bath procedure.

Ceramic tile floor

Ceramic tile flooring is most often used in the washing area, where there is a shower or containers for washing the body. Here streams of cold and warm water, which determines the popularity of ceramics.

The tiles can be placed on a concrete screed or wooden floor when carrying out overhaul. The easiest way to install tiles is on concrete. It is enough to carefully level it and eliminate all defects.

For fastening it is better to use a special adhesive composition, intended for tiles to be laid in wet areas.

It will be a little more difficult to prepare wooden flooring. It is recommended to apply sheet material to it, then prime and putty the seams. After which a layer of plaster 3-6 cm thick is applied.

You can safely lay tiles on such a “pie”. The main thing is not to forget about the drain hole and the slope of the floor towards it.

The floor in the bathhouse is important element, affecting the comfort of the bath procedure and the durability of the structure. When making it, you should listen to some tips:

With a large area of the room, one drain hole, even with a sufficient slope, will not provide rapid drainage of water.
Sheer floors quickly remove moisture, but contribute to heat loss. It is necessary to take care of the insulation of the foundation and the base of the log house. It is better to place the sauna stove below floor level.
The floor in the steam room must be raised relative to the ground, and the floor level in the washing room must be lower than in other rooms so as not to flood them with water.
A ventilation gap under the floor with a height of 10–15 cm will fully provide the necessary drying.

What type of bath floor is the best?

Disputes about the design of bath floors are ongoing. The experience of the centuries-old history of the Russian bath and the opinions of experts speak about one thing - it is very difficult to come up with something better than a wooden floor.

Another thing is that a reliable floor can only be made from wood such as larch or oak, which is quite expensive. The concrete variety is designed to reduce the cost of construction and speed up work.

In the end, the choice remains with the owner of the bathhouse, and he decides the issue taking into account his capabilities, frequency of use and the number of visits.

The floor in the bathhouse must be built efficiently and reliably, so that immediate repairs are not required. However, when arranging it, it is worth taking care of repairability in advance. Typical designs are quite amenable to restoration, and renovation work You can do it yourself, with your own hands.

How to make the right floor in a bathhouse? A fairly pressing question if you decide to build the specified premises on personal plot. In this article we will tell you about several flooring options for a bathhouse.

Such knowledge will be very useful in case self-execution all installation manipulations.

Choosing material

Advice!
It is worth noting that the floor in the bathhouse almost never warms up to a temperature exceeding thirty degrees.
Thanks to this characteristic, this element The premises can be made of any building material that is suitable for this role.
However, it is strictly not recommended to make the coating itself from synthetic materials, since when heated they are capable of releasing various toxins into the atmosphere.

The most important point in the construction of the floor is to ensure the unhindered flow of water from the bathhouse.

Tree

Let's start the conversation about installation with how to properly make a floor in a bathhouse using wood. The most important thing here is to choose the most suitable look building materials. Experts recommend coniferous wood, as they are not susceptible to the harmful effects of moisture..

The rules for laying the floor are as follows:

Brick columns are installed on the ground, the height of which should be no less than thirty centimeters. Parties rectangular section of these elements should be equal to a quarter of a meter.
Wooden logs are mounted on top of the mentioned posts, serving as support for the flooring.
Placed on the crossbars edged boards, the thickness of which can range from two and a half to three and a half centimeters. The design is shown in detail in the photo:

The steam room can be equipped with a leaking or non-leaking floor. The first ensures the outflow of water directly through the existing cracks. The second is equipped with special channels that direct the liquid into the sewer.

A leaky floor is quite convenient because the floorboards are laid on top of the joists without being secured. This makes it easy to remove them when they need drying or when you need to clean the subfloor.

As for the non-leaking floor, the boards are firmly fixed, which means they can be dismantled only if their service life has expired.

When installing such a floor, a prerequisite is careful treatment of all components with special means. Besides, .

The boards fit together quite tightly. Along with this, a certain tilt is made to direct the water into. At the end of the drain, a reservoir is installed to receive liquid.

The photo shows both versions of the wooden bath floor. The photo of a non-leaking floor clearly shows the drain hole - required element such a design.

Clay and concrete

The advantage of a clay floor is its simplicity. However, when exposed to water, clay turns into mud.

It is necessary to make a recess at a distance of half a meter from the foundation. The height of its walls should be five tens of centimeters.
The bottom of this depression is covered with a bedding consisting of crushed stone or sand.
A concrete screed is made on the constructed bedding.

Advice!
The best option is to pour the screed on top of the crushed stone bedding, on which a mesh of reinforcement has previously been laid

In this case, you can use tiles as a covering (photo). Or you can leave bare concrete.

Thermal insulation

As mentioned above, a non-leaking wooden floor must be sufficiently insulated. This is due, first of all, to the fact that this element heats up slightly compared to other surfaces, as well as the air itself in the steam room. Of course, this does not mean that you will freeze, but some discomfort upon contact with this surface will be very noticeable.

It is possible to insulate a wooden floor only with building materials that are not able to absorb water and are also not susceptible to freezing.

Thermal insulation material (this can be polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or other similar building material) is laid between the transverse joists, see photo:

Can be insulated. In this case, thermal insulation is laid between two layers of concrete. Glass wool, polystyrene foam and some other building materials can be used as insulation.

Drain

When building a floor in a bathhouse with your own hands, it is important to know that wastewater must be drained at a sufficient distance from the steam room. The value of this value should not be less than three meters.

At a distance of fifty centimeters from the foundation of the room, a hole is dug, one and a half meters deep, no less.
Then you need to dig a trench leading from the previously mentioned hole to the outside.
At the end of this trench it is necessary to build a special well in which the spent water will accumulate. Its volume should not be less than one and a half cubic meters.

The bottom of all these recesses must be coated with clay. The thickness of the clay layer should be ten centimeters. This layer should be thoroughly leveled and smoothed. The work must be carried out in such a way that water from the trench can flow freely into the well without the help of any technical means. Or you can use plastic pipes as in the photo:

Inside the steam room, the trench and hole must be filled halfway with crushed stone, and sand must be poured on top of it.
From the outside, both the trench and the well are half filled with crushed stone, and then, previously removed, with earth, which must be thoroughly compacted.

Above is an example the simplest system drainage. But there are also more complex options.

Conclusion

Remember that any floor should have a slight slope in order to ensure the movement of water towards the drain.

The price of a bath floor depends on the materials, as well as the method of performing the work. If you do everything yourself, you can save a lot of money.

The video in this article will give you a clearer idea of how to properly fill a bathhouse floor so that it is of high quality in all respects.

The floor in the bathhouse performs a number of functions that distinguish it from the flooring in living rooms. Not only does it allow free movement while constantly being moistened, but it is also part of the sewer system. Therefore, before installing such a floor, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of its installation.

Peculiarities

Before choosing a floor for a bath, you need to consider some nuances. The first thing that is important to consider is what season the premises will be used. If the bathhouse will be used all year round, then it usually contains showers, a dressing room, an additional steam room and rest rooms. In such a bathhouse, a permanent floor is installed: an insulated covering 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 logs - beams with a diameter of about 150 mm. When installing joists, it is necessary to take into account the type of base. For example, for a columnar foundation, the logs must be supported on a foundation beam. The logs are laid sequentially, starting from the shortest wall, the beams are placed at a distance of about 60 cm. The places where the logs come into contact with the foundation are treated with bitumen mastic or roofing felt 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 foundation soil. If the soil absorbs water well, then the subfloor is covered with a layer of crushed stone about 25 centimeters thick. Clay soils that swell when wet and do not conduct moisture well must be covered with a material that allows water to drain. Then lay the floor boards, leaving a distance of 2 cm around the entire perimeter.

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

A leaky floor is also called a “cold” floor because its temperature is always low. The disadvantages of this coating are that it is recommended to install it only in regions with a mild, warm climate. Rooms 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 floor level. This design allows the boards to be heated and better protected from rotting.

The process of creating a non-leaking floor is technologically more complex and resource-intensive. Before laying the logs, the subfloor must be installed. Next, the wooden flooring is covered with layers of waterproofing coating. To reduce heat loss from the premises, the floor must be protected with insulation boards made of mineral wool or fiberglass. To prevent natural insulation materials from losing their properties under the influence of water, a moisture-resistant coating is laid on top.

The subfloor is filled with a layer of bitumen and prepared for the installation of floorboards. The technology for laying boards depends on the purpose of the room. The floorboards in the steam room should face the direction of the light beam. In the dressing room, the flooring 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 bathhouse with a heated floor resembles a pie in terms of its drainage system. The boards are placed at a slight slope, which ensures liquid drainage into the built-in collector. The moisture then flows through the pipes and is removed outside the extension. The advantages of heated floors are that the coating is additionally protected from the cold, and the moisture removal system allows you to increase the shelf life of the boards.

Which coating should you choose?

In the premises of a classic Russian bath high humidity, and the temperature can reach 65 degrees. Under such conditions, there is a high probability of the floor rotting, especially the wooden covering. It is important to understand that each bathhouse 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 changes: The floor interacts with hot water from above, and cold soil acts on it from below. 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 floorboards should be non-slip and require little maintenance. In addition to the above mechanical properties, the floor in the bathhouse should look aesthetically pleasing.

The classic flooring is wood flooring. This method of laying bath floors is still used today. This is not only a tribute to tradition - wood has a high heat capacity and beautiful appearance. A significant drawback of boards is their low moisture resistance: the coating is susceptible to rotting and requires additional protection. Before deciding to install a wooden floor, you need 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 its wooden counterpart. Cement screed has a high mechanical strength, which ensures a long service life. It is important to understand that a finishing coating must be laid on the concrete base. Craftsmen advise using tiles. Ceramics are easy to install and use. A significant disadvantage of a concrete floor is the need for thermal insulation. Also, such a floor must be laid on a slope to ensure water drainage.

When building baths, preference is increasingly being given to laying stone and tile floors. Ceramics perfectly imitates a natural stone and has a relatively low cost. In addition, this coating is durable and waterproof. Important point– joints between ceramic fragments require additional treatment to protect against dampness and prevent the formation of fungus.

To choose the right 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. It is unacceptable to use coatings containing formaldehyde. When exposed to water and high temperature, such materials release toxic substances.

If you want to decorate the floor with paint or varnish, then you need to take into account some restrictions. The safest way to decorate a wooden coating is to use a water-emulsion or dispersion acrylic paint. It is strictly prohibited to use oil paint or alkyd composition.

The requirements for the floor in a washing room are not as high as for the flooring in a steam room. However, the spill coating must withstand prolonged contact with water and detergents. Floors must also withstand critical temperature changes. These requirements are fully satisfied by ceramics. Wood is also actively used in washing, but it must be treated with a special impregnation or varnished.

The floor in the dressing room has virtually no contact with water and steam, so there is no need to increase its water resistance. The dressing room contains a firebox, 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 have raised areas on the floor or shelves to place your feet, which will add comfort.

Necessary tools and components

In order to obtain a high-quality floor with a long service life, it is necessary to follow the installation technique and materials preparation technology. 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 tools needed to install a concrete floor in a bathhouse:

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 smooth as possible: violations in technology can lead to serious consequences.

A laser or water level will help to obtain the surface of the required evenness. It can also be used to vary the angle of the boards. The grooves for water drainage must be smooth: no level differences along the flow of liquid are allowed. Such points must be corrected both at the initial stages of installation and as the slabs are laid.

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. Rounded edges the tool does not leave visible marks on the screed.

Cement grater. This device is necessary to obtain a flat surface. It is necessary to make circular movements along the surface of the laid mass. With their help, excess material is also removed and an even coating is obtained.

Flats are also necessary to obtain a smooth surface. Thanks to their design, they are able to cover and smooth a larger area than graters or trowels. The trowels are used for global work of rolling out cement over the entire surface. Among these tools are smoothers corner type– they are used to obtain a smooth coating at the junction of the floor and the wall.

To mix expanded clay or expanded clay concrete efficiently, 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 done manually, but there is a risk of getting a non-uniform mass. An incorrectly mixed composition will not provide the required performance properties of the floor.

Also don't 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 cloth material is necessary for cleaning tools while working. An even screed will only be achieved when working with cleaned equipment. You should also have a container of water on hand.

To install a wooden floor, you need a different set of tools.

Metal profile for laying boards. A special grid is mounted from small steel gutters onto which the boards are laid. Such a frame is necessary to ensure that the sauna floor is laid evenly and holds tightly. Profiles are sold complete with special fasteners.

An electric screwdriver and drill are needed to secure 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, staples are used to fix the boards.

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

Any flooring job requires a level. The laser device is much easier to use and helps to achieve even coverage or the desired slope.
The final wood layer often needs to be varnished or painted. To do this, you need to 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 installation of a leaky floor begins with the installation of logs. These can be wooden beams or metal beams. Before installation, logs must be treated with a special antiseptic that increases their corrosion resistance. The choice of antiseptics is large, but some prefer to use waste machine oil as an analogue. If wood beams are chosen for the installation of logs, 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 a chamber.

The logs are laid parallel to the smallest wall. If the room in the bathhouse is large enough, it is recommended to create a rigid frame. To do this, reinforced concrete piles are installed under the logs in increments of no more than one meter.

For correct installation lag has 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 crushed stone 10 to 15 centimeters thick and reinforce the system with mesh.
Lay piles of bricks or fragments reinforced concrete slab. This design will provide the base with the necessary load-bearing capacity.
The system must be treated with bitumen 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, the water drainage system is installed. Moisture must be drained away from the foundation. To properly arrange drainage, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the foundation soil. If the soil absorbs moisture well, then it is necessary to remove a layer of soil from the entire area of the bathhouse and cover the surface with crushed stone. On soils with low drainage capacity, you need to dig a hole about 40 cm deep and install a moisture drainage system into it. A special clay backfill ensures uniform water flow. With this method, floors must be laid at a slope of 10 degrees towards the water intake.

The 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 implementation. natural ventilation. The boards are laid at right angles to the location of the joists. This technology provides the necessary strength of the future floor. It is necessary to maintain the same distance between the boards: craftsmen advise using fragments of plywood for these purposes.

Warm floors can also be laid on joists. Using the previously described step-by-step actions, beams or steel pipes. To obtain a surface slope, four millimeter cuts are made in the joists. It is not allowed to cut joists adjacent to the walls. The heated floor drainage system is excellent. A hole with a depth of at least 300 millimeters and dimensions of 400 by 400 millimeters is dug between two supports.

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

The boards are laid starting from the rough layer. Next comes the waterproofing coating, laid out overlapping. The joints are coated Not big amount bitumen mastic or glued with tape. After fixing the waterproofing, a layer of insulation is laid. In this case, craftsmen advise paying attention to mineral or environmental wool and expanded clay slabs. A more environmentally friendly type of insulation is a mixture of sawdust and PVA.

It is necessary to lay a vapor barrier between the finishing coating and the insulation. 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 boards of the final layer should not have cracks in the joints, so builders prefer tongue-and-groove boards. You must not forget about installing the drainage system.

Laying concrete screed is carried out in several stages. The first concrete layer is poured to a height of no more than six centimeters and left until completely dry. Thermal insulation is laid on a slightly damp layer standard thickness. To provide the coating with the necessary rigidity, the insulation is covered with reinforced mesh. Last layer fills are laid at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees to ensure drainage.

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

Wood

The plank covering is perfect for installing a leaky floor in a steam room. Wood has good technical characteristics and requires relatively little labor. Experts advise complete beginners to opt for a cold floor. There is no need to create an insulated “pie” of the foundation and lay utility lines. A leaking 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 removed and dried in the open air. This design helps keep the material in good condition even when the floor frequently interacts with hot water. The board requires replacement 4-6 years after commissioning. If you still want to fix the coating on the joists, then the boards must be thoroughly 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 cause injury.

Leak-resistant wood flooring is suitable for year-round use. In the washing department and steam room, such a coating will last up to 10 years if you properly install the rough layer and do not neglect installation insulating materials. It is not recommended to paint boards. The chemical composition can clog the wood pores, which will give the coating a persistent chemical aroma.

Also, paint does not help protect the boards from rotting. Craftsmen advise leaving the surface clean, but sanding it 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 rotting, use special compounds. But an important point is the drainage system.

Concrete

Concrete has a long service life, which makes it a leader among materials for installing bath floors. A properly installed coating can last up to 50 years and does not require special conditions operation. Concrete screed is not prone to rotting, because the development of microorganisms in concrete is impossible. Caring for this 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 tiles can be laid on top. It is laid on the ground or logs. To strengthen the foundation for installing a heated floor, a device is often used screw piles. An insulating “pie” is already installed on these piles and a screed is poured. A concrete floor requires a lot of time and resources because it is a complex multi-layer structure.

Before purchasing, you should familiarize yourself with the composition of the product. Some types contain crushed stone or gravel, so they can cause difficulties during the mixing process. A homogeneous mass can only be obtained using a concrete mixer or hammer drill. If there are no such devices, then craftsmen recommend purchasing a solution based 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 of 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 a screed, you must add gypsum with an admixture of anhydrate to the solution. Concrete flooring is not recommended for use as a rough floor for the installation of synthetic flooring. When interacting with critical temperatures, synthetics release complex chemicals that can be hazardous to health.

When installing a concrete coating, proper waterproofing is important. The floor is located at a slight slope, and a special pit with a drain is installed under the base of the foundation. Water moves along the gutter and ground and is removed outside the bathhouse. Technologically competent installation This system will protect the foundation from corrosion and allow the cement screed to serve for a long time.

tiled

Ceramics are widely used for laying cold floors. This material is not subject to decomposition under the influence 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 installed everywhere in the bathhouse.

Designers note a wide color palette this material, therefore it is often used to create decor in the rest room. The tiles are environmentally friendly, do not emit harmful substances and do not have a chemical odor. The ceramics are laid directly on the self-leveling concrete floor.

The screed does not always provide a smooth coating and requires additional measures. Surface roughness must be kept to a minimum, since this work requires effort and time. Tile laid on a screed with uneven surfaces 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 product both during installation and during operation.

A significant disadvantage of tiles is its high thermal conductivity. To prevent the temperature in the steam room from dropping, proper thermal insulation is necessary. Another significant drawback is the risk of injury. varnish coating. It is necessary to purchase tiles with a rough surface so that they do not become slippery when in contact with water. Today there are many ceramic tiles that imitate stone coating.

Designers highlight mosaics stylized as pebbles. In addition to aesthetics and beauty, this coating has a massage effect. Such tiles will be an excellent solution when decorating a relaxation room in nautical style. Small stone particles are complemented by ground glass inserts. The sparkling inserts have a beautiful shine and reflect light in an interesting way.

To increase service life ceramic coating it is covered with glaze and fired several times. In addition, craftsmen advise giving preference to thick tiles. This material is resistant to temperature fluctuations. You should not buy tiles with a large number of pores - they are less durable. Preference should be given to clinker mosaic or porcelain stoneware cladding. Pay close attention to the surface texture: glossy shine 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. Requires instructions from a master and control of the installation process.

Underfloor heating is a system of pipes or cables through which warm liquid moves. Convection ensures 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, therefore the surface must be additionally reinforced. The contours themselves are easy to install, but require reliable attachment to the rough surface. To install such heating, you should purchase pipes without seams or joints.

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

Today, there are two methods of installing heated floors. Water system carried out by circulating the heated liquid from the pump through the pipes. The coolant in this design can be either plain water or special anti-freezing compounds. The water system consists of a boiler, manifold and pipes. It is difficult to install and is expensive. However, such a system allows you to reduce heating costs. Water heated floors are often used as additional heating in apartments and houses.

Another way to install a heated floor is electrical system. These "cable" floors are easy to install, but their price depends entirely on energy tariffs. The cable converts electricity into heat and heats the surface evenly. To control heating, temperature sensors are installed 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 overheating the wood and causing a fire.

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

All pipe joints must be additionally secured. It is important to remember that once the cement layer has been laid, it will not be possible to make adjustments. Otherwise, you will need 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 clean surface. After making adjustments, the surface is filled with a new layer of cement mortar.

Before use, floors are pre-tested and heated in accordance with the instructions. The problems are corrected and the system is checked again. The cycle must be resumed until the required temperature is achieved. Only after the final tests are the cement screed leveled and the installation of the finishing floor covering begins. 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 experts advise you to listen to some recommendations. The reasons for the destruction of floors can be different, but many can be prevented if you do not violate the technology of laying the coating. Choice quality material also plays an important role.

When installing joists, it is important to install waterproofing between the pillars. This coating will protect the frame from rot and rapid destruction. Otherwise, the foundation will quickly collapse upon contact with water. The posts should also be made from 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.

Wooden floors cannot be installed without ventilation. Its design 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 finishing coating, so it is necessary not to violate the technology at each stage of the work.

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

Installation of a wooden floor should only be carried out using fasteners made of of stainless steel. Metal structures can be further treated to protect them from rust. Since the coating is regularly exposed to water, it is necessary to pay special attention to the choice metal structures and fasteners.

The floor level of the washing compartment is always located slightly below the level of other rooms. The steam room and relaxation room should be raised a few millimeters.

Before you start laying the boards, the coating needs to be treated. 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 warm electric floors. All components of the floor must be fire resistant. These indicators are specified in regulatory documents and must be supported by material certificates.

Craftsmen advise giving preference to tiled floors. 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. Rooms with poor ventilation require constant ventilation after use. Only in this case will the bathhouse last a long time. To vent ventilation outside in the attic, it is necessary to install a pipe through which water vapor and smoke will be removed from the room. With a monolithic foundation, craftsmen advise making holes from the ventilation pipe to the outside.