Bathroom floor repair: replacement, installation, useful tips. How to make a floor in a bathhouse - we follow all construction rules How to make removable floors in a bathhouse
The main task of the floor in the bathhouse is not just to ensure safety and ease of movement, but also to play the role of quality sewer device, capable of removing water, but not rotting or deteriorating. The most important thing is to familiarize yourself with the basic principles of installing a floor in a bathhouse.
Types of floor
When choosing the materials used, it is worth remembering that there are only two options: either wooden boards, or concrete. Concrete option It will turn out to be more durable, it will last more than 50 years, but it will also take longer to work on its creation.
As for wooden boards, they are laid on logs, and little time and effort is required. However, the service life of the boards is about 7 years, and then the floor will have to be replaced.
The wooden type of masonry for bath flooring can be divided into two types:
Leaking floor. It is rightfully considered the simplest type, which is quite easy to install. A distance of at least 3 mm must be maintained between the main boards, but it can be increased to 2 cm. The photo shows an example of such a floor.
Tip: Don't nail down your wood floor. This is necessary so that the entire structure can be taken outside in warm weather to dry. This maneuver will help preserve the service life of the product.
The main feature of a leaky type of floor is that water easily gets under the boards, and special gaps are provided in the bottom covering for drainage. But such a floor requires an internal drainage structure.
Non-leakage floor. The design of this bath floor is quite complex. It is installed on the so-called subfloor, which is built together with insulation, if necessary. There should be at least two centimeters between the wall and the boards, and the nails used to secure the floor are large enough - the average size 8 cm
To lay such a floor, you need to take strong boards, made from deciduous trees, and install them in two rows.
Important: the boards must be perfectly flat, without gaps. When installing, they should be pressed tightly against each other, since water should not seep into the coating.
The leak-proof floor is installed on joists secured to supports. The supports are made of concrete, and their height should be strictly controlled so that it is at the same level. Concrete must be poured under the board supports. Will do concrete mixture made of cement grade M100, formed by wooden structures, which are removed after the mixture dries. Concrete is laid out on the cleaned surface, after which the appropriate amount of time is waited (depending on the characteristics of the concrete used).
When constructing a non-leaking floor, it is necessary to create a gap that will differ in height from the main part of the floor. It should also consist of wooden planks, clearly cut from the tree and firmly pressed together. A siphon is inserted into the thickness of the gap, which transports the accumulated water into the septic tank or sewer ditch.
Instead of a siphon, you can use a special tray that will match the depth of the boards. It should be installed at a slight angle to make it easier for water to drain out of the bath.
How to make a concrete floor
Subfloor for suitable design The floor covering of the bathhouse is made mainly of concrete. However, it is better to alternate the components, and it is better to do this in the correct sequence:
We strengthen and compact the soil well. It must be in a dry state, otherwise, when dried, it may shrink in volume, and this will jeopardize the durability of the structure. Soil thickness – 5 cm;
Strengthening layer. It consists of a gravel-crushed stone mixture, which should be laid with a thickness of 10 cm;
We lay concrete - the first 5 cm;
If insulation is needed, and it is practically necessary to install it in a non-leakage field, felt or expanded clay can be used as a basis. The main thing is to withstand the necessary drying time. It is better to make the layer small, since the material may lose strength;
A layer of concrete with a chain-link mesh is laid for maximum reliability and durability;
A layer of concrete that will level the surface. Concrete is applied in a thin layer, and the main task when applying it is to create the most even surface possible, removing all the depressions and gaps;
Coating.
Important: a flat floor surface must be achieved taking into account the slope of the entire floor of 10 degrees. This is done to ensure that the water flows as quickly as possible to the right place and is discharged into the sewer.
Selection of materials
The wood for a bath floor can be different, but larch is the best option However, it will be more expensive in price than pine, fir, alder and birch. Larch is comparable in its qualities to oak, which outperforms all other types of finished flooring materials in terms of wear resistance and service life.
It is best to use boards with a thickness of 30-35 mm and a width of 12 cm.
If you buy insulation in a store, such as cotton wool, it should be about 8 cm thick.
Important: the boards must be dried well after processing. If this is not done, the material will curl during operation, cracks will appear and the service life of the floor will be significantly reduced.
The support beams should have dimensions of 70x100x2960 mm. Logs - 5x18x24.6 cm. Skull block - 4x4 cm. The subfloor is covered with boards of any size, but the thickness should be about 20-25 cm.
Floor assembly procedure
One of the options for assembling a durable and durable bath floor is shown in the image:
The procedure is as follows:
On strip foundation give all their best backing beams;
On top of the backing beams there are two layers of rolled roofing felt;
Tip: the support beams are installed clearly from wall to wall so that there are no gaps. The ideal option is to install the bars on support pillars which are made from cement. Two such pillars are enough for the reliability of the structure, however, if the bathhouse is large, you can make three.
Logs are installed. They need to be nailed down. You need to install one log at each wall and one every 10 centimeters from the previous one. The next one is mounted in the center, and from it you can calculate the distance to the next ones (about 20 cm);
Beams for the subfloor are installed, which are fastened firmly on both sides of the joists with nails;
A moisture-proof membrane is laid on the damn floor, secured with nails;
A layer is installed on top of the membrane basalt wool. It should be divided into segments that will correspond to the size of the areas between the logs;
Next, the finishing floor is laid, consisting of prepared boards. It is important to maintain a gap of 2 cm between the finished floor and the thermal insulation membrane. It is not recommended to leave a larger gap, as the floor may begin to sag.
Important: the finished floor must be securely fastened. For this, nails 8 cm thick are used.
How to attach different floor structural elements
The backing beam must be attached directly to the foundation. Great for this anchor bolts with a diameter of 1.2 cm and a length of 14 cm. The bolt must be fastened from above, since all other placement methods will be risky and unreliable. Even if you choose the method of fastening from above, you need to ensure that the concrete does not crack. Therefore, the work is carried out carefully and slowly.
Tip: Each subfloor beam must be secured with four bolts.
The support beam is attached to the support post using galvanized corners measuring 6x6 centimeters. It must be attached to the beam using self-tapping screws. There must be a different fastening to the supporting pillars - screws 0.5x5 cm. One of each fastening will be enough for each structure, on each side. One to the beam, one to the support post.
Support beams and logs should also be fastened to each other using corners according to a similar principle.
The cranial bars are connected to the previous layer quite simply. The number of nails used for fastening does not matter. It also does not matter at what distance the connections occur.
The tongue and groove boards are fastened at clearly defined 45 degree angles. You can attach them to a groove or a tenon - at the discretion of the master. The main thing is to make the fastenings reliable and correct.
Waterproofing should be secured to each other and to the joists only with staples. An equal distance must be maintained between the fasteners, which should not exceed 15 centimeters. It is also not recommended to fasten at a distance of less than 10 cm, otherwise the material may begin to sag a little. You can take any stapler to get the job done, both small and large will do. It is important to test the stapler before starting to work on rough material. If gaps are created, it is necessary to adjust the width of its fastening. First of all, it all depends on the quality and origin of the purchased thermal insulation material.
Thermal insulation material, when all actions on the fastenings have already been completed, must be covered with a special self-adhesive tape. For example, excellent option will be the Isofix brand.
Features of laying the finished floor
First, take a strip, the thickness of which can ideally be 2 cm. It is installed along the shortest wall using self-tapping screws. This design will help make a support on which the entire finished floor will rest.
The very first board needs to be installed with a distance of about 2 cm from the wall. Fastening can take place using a tenon or groove to the wall.
Boards in places where they intersect with joists, and each board intersects in several places, must be fastened with self-tapping screws. It is important to take into account that wooden boards can burst from sudden and careless impact, creating cracks, so you should work gradually. For high-quality fastening, one self-tapping screw in the area of each intersection with the joists is sufficient.
In this way we connect all the boards, fastening them only with the joists. The boards are not attached to each other; this is simply not necessary. In this case, each board must be inserted into a tenon or groove, depending on the chosen fastening method.
Tip: to prevent the board from bursting when screwing in the screw, you need to work at an angle of 45 degrees - besides, this is very convenient.
If it is necessary to cut the board, this should be done circular saw, which will help ensure the work has the most accurate size and neat appearance.
What tools may be useful:
Screwdriver;
Plane;
Hacksaw (for wood);
Self-tapping screws, dowels, bolts;
Drills for hard alloys;
Hammer;
Level;
Stapler;
Wooden materials of appropriate sizes
Advice: it is best to lay the finished floor so that the angle of inclination is in the direction that is directed along the length of the boards, and not across the width. This will help extend the life of the products, since the direction of water also plays a role in rotting processes.
And the last thing to consider: if you cut the boards, be sure to treat the cut areas with an antiseptic.
The bathhouse belongs to the “wet” rooms 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 this floor that 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 varieties:
In the first case, the floor is like a grate through which water flows directly onto the ground underneath. This is the simplest and cheap option. It is clear that with cracks in the floor, a bathhouse can only be used in summer, that is, this design is most suitable for summer residents.
The leak-proof plank floor is continuous. It is given a slope towards one of the walls, along which a plastic gutter is installed to collect water. The gutter, in turn, has a slope towards the drain hole. Since getting the underground space wet when correct installation excluded, insulation can be placed here, thanks to which this type of floor can be considered acceptable for bathhouses used year-round.
Selection of materials and calculation of their quantity
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
Dimensions cross section 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 bearing capacity existing timber, in the middle of the span on the ground base you need to install one or more intermediate supports- so-called chairs. Usually they are brick columns with plan dimensions of 250x250 mm, installed on a low concrete foundation dimensions in plan 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 timber of suitable thickness is not available, the logs can be made composite by installing several thinner boards nearby, which together will give the required thickness. Since this design, unlike solid timber, is not monolithic, its height should be taken 10–20 mm more 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 well high humidity, 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, holes (vents) through which it will be ventilated. underground space.
Leak-proof plank covering
Non-leakage flooring is made from a tongue and groove board, that is, one that has a groove along the edges and a corresponding ridge for lock 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 there is a distance of at least 150 mm from the top of the backfill to the bottom of the wooden structures. 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 slab. 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 corners between walls and floor waterproofing mastic or lay a strip of roofing material in this place, so that 500 mm of its width falls 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;
- for 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 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: produced drains with adjustable height.
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 hot water pouring onto it.
- 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, while a hole is cut in it at the place where the drain is installed, corresponding internal diameter drain 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 o-ring supplied with the drain is placed on the flange, then it is installed and screwed tightly top part. 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 lower than its grate by the thickness of the 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, you should not limit yourself to treating the screed with waterproof impregnation. deep penetration, and lay it on it waterproof coating, smooth but not slippery. Thanks to it, the floor will be much easier to keep clean.
As finishing can be applied 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 reliable design, which will serve you for many years.
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 elevated temperature 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. Similar design easy enough to do. 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 underground, bathhouses are built drainage hole. Therefore, sewerage is not required in this case. Due to flooring is slotted, then the floor insulation is not done. Therefore, a self-made bathhouse with this type of floor is only suitable for use during the warm season.
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 species fir is a good tree 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. Also needed at the bottom wooden base connect the siphon to the previously made hole. 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 installation speed.
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 multilayer 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 to 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 the waste pipe should extend 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 moisture-resistant material on top of the concrete. wood covering. Due to this, the floor surface will always be warm and comfortable for your feet.
Bath floors undergo serious testing during operation. Wood is not resistant to stress. Oven weight, 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 especially 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 water vapor 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:
- Its load-bearing basis is 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 tile or roll insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier are laid.
- 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 elements floors can be made from cheaper wood - pine, spruce, birch.
In other bath rooms where there is no excessive humidity, the most commonly used wood is pine. 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.
The simplest way to detect internal defects is 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:
Surface leveling
Over time, wood floors can lose their smoothness. outer surface as a result of slight deformation of elements, 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 tool you will need is a plane, Grinder or Bulgarian with grinding disc, emery cloth, spatula, paint brush.
Replacing or repairing floorboards
Such repairs are needed when individual boards of the outer covering are damaged (rotted) or there is 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 “tongue 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 small area 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, wooden beam 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 fluctuations in temperature in the bathhouse, wood expands noticeably, which requires a certain amount of space.
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 The air flow is able to eliminate this phenomenon, and therefore the specified space plays important role in 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.
More complex design involves pouring a 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 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.
On top of such a screed is laid sheet material(for example, GVLV) 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 with a focus on installed beacons and form 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
Flooring made of ceramic tiles most often used in washing room, where the shower or containers for washing the body are located. Here, streams of cold and warm water fall on the floor, 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 quite amenable to restoration, and renovation work You can do it yourself, with your own hands.
With good flooring it is much more pleasant and comfortable. Therefore, in the locker room they make a double floor, that is, first a rough floor, and then a finishing floor on top. Traditionally, a Russian steam room is equipped with a wooden one, or when constructing the base, they always think about how to make it warm?
Wooden floor
Insulation
How to make a floor with a gasket in a bathhouse? Expanded clay, glass wool and perlite are used as thermal insulation materials. The gasket is prepared from the following components: perlite (3 buckets), cement (1/2 bucket) and water (1.5 buckets). The resulting mixture is poured onto the concrete in a thin layer. This foundation is considered reliable and durable.
Specialists also make water heated floors. They consist of pipe systems that are contained within a screed. They also make electric warm grounds, installing electrical cables.
Ventilation
Conclusion
Decorates a steam room - it becomes comfortable, and the body receives a charge of vigor and preventative health for many years. If professionals get down to business, the floor in the bathhouse will be installed correctly.
