What is the best way to make the floors in the bath. Bath floor - different options for arranging a high-quality base. Laying floors in the wash compartment

You can equip the floor in the bath with your own hands if all the necessary work is done correctly. The service life of the floor depends on the quality of the preparation of the base, the choice of insulating materials and the topcoat. We will consider the device of floors for a bath, the features of their installation, as well as technological nuances that must be taken into account.

Features of the device floors in the bath

How to make a durable and wear-resistant floor in a bath? The construction of a bath as such is carried out taking into account many nuances. A room with a specific microclimate provides extreme conditions for the operation of the floor covering. High humidity, constant temperature fluctuations and contact of the floor base with water can significantly shorten the lifespan of the floor.

The choice of a specific method for arranging the base in a "damp" room depends on the following factors:

• method of heat and waterproofing;
• type of foundation and the presence of underground;
• seasonality of using the bath;
• type of soil under the building;
• design features of the building.

If the bath is planned to be used throughout the year, in this case it is more expedient to make a capital base with pouring a concrete screed. In a frame building, which is used only in the warm season, it is best to make a wooden floor, since its assembly will be more profitable from an economic point of view.

Types of wood floors

The device of the base with the help of wooden flooring will be the most acceptable for seasonal buildings. Wood has a low thermal conductivity, therefore it helps to conserve heat in a "damp" room. However, high humidity can cause wood to rot. To avoid this, experts recommend using floor joists and flooring made of coniferous wood. They are less hygroscopic due to the presence of natural resins in the structure of the tree.

All types of wooden coatings for baths can be roughly divided into the following categories:

1. Leaking. Boards are laid at a certain interval, therefore, water is immediately drained from the room due to the cracks formed in the coating, the size of which varies from 3 to 7 mm. The device of such a base is beneficial for several reasons:
   • easy installation;
   • low cost of floors;
   • no need to install a drain system.
2. Non-leaking. A monolithic covering, assembled from boards, can be used in buildings that are used all year round. However, in this case, it is necessary to install a water collector at the base, with the help of which the waste water would be discharged into the sewer. The device of a non-leaking coating has the following advantages:
   • long period of operation;
   • good thermal insulation of the room;
   • the possibility of assembling heated floors.

Necessary tools

The construction of a bath is a laborious and responsible process, but one of its most important stages is the arrangement of the floors. The microclimate in the room depends on the quality of the installation work associated with the installation of the sewer system and the laying of floor materials. To implement all the stages of floor construction correctly, first of all, you need to have the necessary tools at hand.

The device of a concrete base is possible with the following tools:

• concrete mixer;
• lighthouses;
• rule (for alignment);
• building level;
• container for solution;
• shovel.

To make wood flooring, you will need other tools:

• hammer;
• jigsaw (angle grinder);
• plane;
• roulette;
• nails.

To understand how to properly install the floors in a bath, consider a step-by-step guide for laying wood and concrete floors.

Standard floor-standing design

The base installed in the steam room should be located 8-9 cm above the zero level. In this case, the temperature in the room will remain at the required level for a long time. At the same time, the base is made slightly lower than in other rooms of the bath. This avoids water leakage under the floor into the dressing room, shower room, etc.

The standard flooring arrangement is represented by a multi-layer cake:

• waterproofing layer (placed on the ground);
• beams for wooden lathing;
• rough coating;
• insulating materials (insulation, waterproofing);
• lags for assembling the lathing;
• heat and water insulators;
• lining;
• air bag;
• wood and concrete layer;
• decorative coating.

Features of the preparation of the base

The traditional construction of a warm floor begins with preparatory work. To ensure a long service life of the topcoat, the following works are performed during the preparation of the base:

1. In place of future floors, a mineral pillow is laid, represented by broken brick or expanded clay granules. The thickness of the drainage layer must be at least 15 cm;
2. Gravel or crushed stone 10-15 cm thick is poured on top;
3. Then the laid materials are well tamped.

Laying a mineral pad helps to break the capillarity, which causes soil moisture to rise to the substrate and destroy it.

Preparation of working mixture for concrete floors

To make a high-quality solution for pouring a screed, you need to strictly observe the proportions and the order of adding the necessary components. To improve the thermal insulation properties of the mixture, perlite can be added to its composition. The process of preparing the solution itself is carried out in two stages.

First step:

1. 10 liters of clean water are poured into the concrete mixer;
2. Then, about 2 buckets of expanded sand are poured;
3. The components are mixed;
4. Then add 5 liters of cement grade M-300, not lower;
5. The mixture is mixed well;
6. Then add about 5 more liters of water;
7. Stir the solution until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

If necessary, you can slightly improve the technical characteristics of the composition by adding perlite to it. To do this, perform the following actions:

1. 10 kg of perlite are poured into the previously prepared solution;
2. Add about 2-2.5 L of water;
3. The components are mixed until the concrete mass turns into free-flowing;
4. After 10 minutes, the components of the mixture are again thoroughly mixed.

Ultimately, a free-flowing composition will turn out, which in consistency will resemble plasticine. After that, a screed is made on the prepared base.

Filling the first layer

If the area of ​​the rough coating is small, the screed is made all over the site at once. To fill the screed over a large area, the room is conventionally divided into strips, processing each one in turn. How to put the first layer of concrete mix correctly?

1. The thickness of the "rough" screed must be at least 12 cm;
2. The horizontality of the laid layer is checked with a level;
3. Level the mixture using a rule;
4. So that water does not accumulate on the surface of the finished floor, the screed is made with a slight slope towards the pit;
5. The slope of the screed must be at least 1 cm per meter of length.

Heat and waterproofing of concrete floors

As soon as the screed hardens, you need to go to the stage of heat and waterproofing of the coating. Before laying insulating materials, the concrete surface is checked for bulges, cracks and dents. If necessary, defects on the coating are repaired.

As a rule, the following are chosen as waterproofing materials:

• bituminous mastic;
• plastic wrap;
• rolled roofing material.

After arranging the waterproofing, it is necessary to insulate the floor. For these purposes, the following can be used:

• mineral wool;
• polystyrene;
• penoplex;
• granulated expanded clay;
• foam concrete.

The thickness of the insulating layer should be 10-15 cm. As practice shows, expanded clay is the optimal insulation for concreted surfaces. It does not absorb moisture, weighs little and also has good sound insulation.

Pouring the finishing screed

Laying the finishing layer of the screed technologically differs little from the previous version. But in this case, the thickness of the screed can vary from 8 to 10 cm. It should be borne in mind that in the process of pouring the mixture, it is necessary to observe the observance of the slope towards the sump.

Still, flooring in large and small rooms is slightly different. If the base area is large enough, to give the structure more strength, it is worth putting a reinforcing mesh before pouring the screed. In this case, even with intensive use of the bath, the rough coating will not crack.

Features of wood floors

Wooden flooring is a traditional type of flooring that is used for furnishing floors in a bath. Despite the hygroscopicity, this type of material is still in demand among consumers, due to the following qualities:

• The wood is environmentally friendly and safe for health;
• The flooring has a low thermal conductivity, in contrast to concrete;
• The wood flooring creates a more welcoming atmosphere in the room.

In addition, a wooden base can be made in just a few days, since the stage of "wet" work can be bypassed, which cannot be done when pouring a screed.

Laying wooden floors

How to properly lay wood floors? It is quite easy to mount a wooden base, but you need to take into account a lot of technological nuances. The whole process of arranging floors is divided into the following stages:

1. Erection of support racks... To install the supports, rather thick beams with a cross section of 15 cm are used. It is the racks that will experience the greatest load during the operation of the base of the floor covering. They are placed on metal or brick pillars, secured with steel brackets. When arranging floors in a bathhouse, erected on a pile foundation, the lag is laid on a mortgage crown;
2. Installation of the underground. In the case of assembling leaking floors, a 20 cm layer of crushed stone or expanded clay is laid underground. If the soil is clayey and does not absorb moisture well, a tank is installed under the floor to collect waste water, which flows by gravity into the sewer through the pipeline. If you need to make a leak-proof base, it is mandatory to insulate it (expanded clay, foam). To ensure normal ventilation of the underground, ventilation holes are made in the foundation for better air circulation;
3. Laying logs and finishing flooring... For the arrangement of leaking floors, the logs are placed in random order, observing horizontality. When installing a non-leaking base, we make a slope from the log towards the pit. In the case of non-leaking floors, cranial blocks are nailed to the logs, onto which rough boards are thrown. Then a layer of hydro and heat insulator is placed on them. After that, the wooden crate is sheathed with a tongue-and-groove board. Inside the "pie", between the finishing boards and the logs, there should be a gap of 10-12 cm for ventilation of the underground.

Building a bath with a wear-resistant floor is very problematic, given the specific microclimate in the room. In order to increase the period of operation of the floor covering, such moments should be taken into account during its installation.

Steam room - the main section of the bath, has special requirements. The room should perfectly retain heat, not be afraid of dampness and high temperature. Currently, there are a large number of building materials and technologies that allow developers to choose an acceptable option for themselves, taking into account personal preferences and financial capabilities. But not only this affects the optimal choice of floor in the steam room.

As mentioned above, during the selection, the developer takes into account the wishes and possibilities... But professional builders do not recommend focusing only on these factors, there are still some very important points.

Foundation type

For baths, three types of foundations are used: screw or concrete pile, columnar and shallow tape.

1. Concrete or metal pile foundations recommended for use on sloping construction sites and waterlogged unstable soils. A feature of pile structures is the large open space between the floor and the ground. This situation has positive and negative sides. The presence of a distance between the floor and the ground improves ventilation of the underground space. This has a positive effect on the humidity regime, wooden structures dry out quickly, due to which the operating time of the floor in the steam room increases. Another plus - in most cases it is not necessary to make special receivers of water, it pours out onto the ground, the main part is immediately absorbed, a small amount can flow outside the perimeter of the bath. On the negative side, the floors cool quickly, the surface is cold, especially in winter. It is necessary to take special construction measures to improve the comfort of staying in the steam room.

   

   

2. Columnar... The cheapest options for foundations for a bath. Most often, the underground space is open. The positive and negative sides are the same as those of the columnar ones.

   

3. Shallow tape... Stronger structures that can withstand significant forces. They make it possible to build large baths with different premises. The disadvantages include the complexity of the arrangement of floors in the steam room. The fact is that the vents provided in the tape cannot provide the same effective ventilation as a completely open space. This worsens the operating conditions of the floors in the steam room; in order to prevent the appearance of negative processes, it is necessary to thoroughly impregnate all wooden elements with antiseptics. Any impregnation is a chemical composition that adversely affects living organisms. From a biological point of view, a person is an ordinary living organism, and also reacts negatively to aggressive compounds. But these are not all problems. In such baths, under the steam rooms, it is imperative to make sewerage systems to drain water. Additional work complicates and increases the cost of floors in the steam room, requires highly qualified specialists.

The above features of various types of foundations must be taken into account when choosing a floor option in a steam room, regardless of the wishes of the developers.

Screw pile prices

screw pile

Soil type

Only two types of soil affect the technology of building floors in a steam room.

1. Clayey do not absorb moisture, all water is on their surface for a long period of time. As a result, the humidity in the underground space is high, and the processes of wood decay are accelerated. A water drainage system must be installed under the steam rooms on such soils.
2. Sandy soils quickly absorb moisture and can accept large amounts of it. Such physical parameters make it possible to simplify as much as possible the arrangement of floors under the steam room and washing room.

The climatic zone of the location of the bath

Everything is simple here - the colder the climate, the warmer the floors in the steam room should be. It is strongly not recommended to install cement floors in northern regions.

The specified information should be taken into account when choosing the floor option in the bath, but it is not enough to make a balanced final decision. You need to learn more about the features of the floors, their pros and cons.

Types of floors in the steam room

This parameter also influences decision making, it should be borne in mind and compared with the type of foundations, physical characteristics of soils and climatic zones of the location of the building.

Table. Types of floors in the steam room.

Types of floors in the steam room	Brief description of architectural features and performance characteristics
	The simplest and cheapest design, all the old baths had such floors in the steam rooms. Approximately 5 mm wide gaps are left between the planks; no slope is required. Water flows to the ground and is absorbed into it. There is no need to be afraid that streams will appear near the bathhouse, they do not wash in the steam room, but steam. Accordingly, little water is consumed. The disadvantage of leaking floors is the low surface temperature. But this problem is not critical for several reasons. Firstly, the legs are not on such a floor for a long time, you just need to reach the shelf installed on a hill. Secondly, a short time on a cold surface does not cause colds, but hardens the body, improves the functioning of the immune system. Third, if the soles of your feet are very sensitive to low temperatures, you can make wooden bars and walk on them.
	The boards are tightly pulled together by social fittings, the side surfaces can be flat or have a tenon / groove connection. Such floors necessarily have a slope to one side and drain. The slope is small, about a centimeter per linear meter. The drain is given underground with a further outlet outside the perimeter of the steam room. These are more complex floor structures in the steam room, but surpass leaking ones in their performance characteristics.
	They are used only in exclusive expensive baths. The base is a cement-sand mixture or concrete, there is no underground. Be sure to arrange a separate drain, the topcoat is ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware. Professional builders strongly advise against installing such floors in a steam room with a high air temperature. The fact is that the tile has a high thermal conductivity, the hot floor quickly gives off heat, and your feet may be too hot. In terms of cost and complexity of manufacturing, they occupy a leading position among all options for floors in a steam room.

For traditional wooden baths it is better to do. Larch is considered the best breed, it is not afraid of moisture, with direct contact with water, its strength increases. The disadvantage of larch is its high cost. For this reason, most developers are advised to have softwood floors in the steam room.

Step-by-step instructions for making a floor in a steam room

For example, we will consider a rather complex and expensive floor in a steam room - leakproof with insulation. This option is used in cases where the family has small children, it is necessary for them to create an increased comfort of stay in the room.

Initial data. The steam room is being renovated, the floor is changing due to the presence of cracks, which created inconvenience for young children. The material of manufacture is coniferous boards, the front surface will be covered with a special resistant varnish. Durable waterproof extruded polystyrene foam is used as insulation. Floor laying work in a steam room is done in two stages. At the first one, the old coating is dismantled, an audit of the condition of the wooden elements and current repairs are made. In the second step, a new floor is laid in the steam room.

Dismantling

Step 1. Remove the skirting boards around the room. Undermine them carefully, to protect the surfaces of the boards from mechanical damage, use wooden lining.

Step 2. Unscrew the self-tapping screws for the floorboards.

Practical advice. Never use black self-tapping screws, they are very afraid of moisture and quickly oxidize. Oxidized hats not only worsen the appearance of the steam room floor, such hardware is then very difficult to unscrew. Most often, the boards have to be torn off, and after that large holes remain. Problematic areas need to be repaired, it is long and difficult. In addition, seeding marks will always be visible.

Step 3. Inspect the floor structures for mold and rot, and if problems are identified, they must be eliminated.

Step 4. Remove the sex lags. Damaged areas must be removed from the surface of the lumber, for this you can use an electric plane. It is recommended to wipe the surface of the walls under the skirting boards with any antiseptic. The lags must be impregnated with the same composition.

This completes the preparatory work, you can start laying the new floor of the steam room.

Important. During the construction of the bath, be sure to make effective ventilation of the premises. After taking water procedures, the steam room and the washing room must be dried as quickly as possible, this cannot be achieved only by opening the doors. High humidity and high temperature are the main enemies of lumber. No amount of impregnation will prevent the boards from rotting if they are constantly damp and warm.

Laying a new floor in a steam room

The floor will be made with a slope, draining the water into the tray. All lumber should be impregnated. As many years of practice show, the best antiseptic is used car oil. If a specific smell is alarming, then the lags can be kept outside for several days, in sunny warm weather it will quickly disappear. In addition, in our version, the floor of the steam room is solid, which is an additional guarantee that there are no unpleasant odors during the procedure.

Step 1. Determine the floor level and the angle of the planks. The direction of the slope from the front door to the opposite wall of the steam room. You can make marks using an elementary water level or using a modern laser device. The second option allows you to make the markup faster, but not every amateur has such professional tools at home.

The upper plane of the plinth should be about five millimeters below the threshold, taking into account its width, outline the lines for the location of the floor boards. On the opposite side, do the same operations, do not forget about the slope.

Step 2. Fix the lags according to the marks. It is much easier to fix them with special perforated metal corners. They perfectly hold a lot of weight and make it possible, if necessary, to correct mistakes. The corners are fixed to the lateral and lower surfaces of the log, thereby increasing the reliability of the structure.

Perforated corners have many holes, but this does not mean that a self-tapping screw must be screwed into each. No more than three pieces are required on one side. Extra holes are provided so that you can choose the optimal place for fixing the screws. There are knots and cracks on the lumber, here the hardware is not installed.

Practical advice. The surface of the lag is strictly horizontal, and the floorboards are at an angle. In this regard, they do not come into contact with the entire surface with the supports. Don't worry, it's much better for a steam room. The fact is that the floor does not have large loads, the boards will not bend. And the presence of a small gap between them and the logs accelerates the drying process of sawn timber, which has a positive effect on the duration of operation.

Lags are much easier and faster to set up on the rope. To do this, fix the first and last exactly according to the marks, pull the rope between them and use it as a template for fastening all the others.

Step 3. Proceed with the installation of the water receiving tray. Some models must first be adapted for a steam room. To do this, a grinder with a disc for metal cuts off excess planes that interfere with its reliable fixation to wooden logs. The master must select a specific rework scheme on the spot, taking into account all the features of the steam room floor. The purpose of the standard tray revision is that the boards should adhere tightly to its surfaces, the appearance of leaks should be excluded.

Recheck the position of the floor plane before installing the tray. From the opposite wall, it is recommended to place an emphasis on the tray over the entire surface of one board, for this it is laid perpendicular to the rest. It is much easier to lay one whole board perpendicularly than to use many short sections. This should be provided at the stage of measurement and preparation of sawn timber.

To drain water from the receiving tray, bring the pipes to the receiver. They can be taken outside, or the receiver can be installed inside the steam room. How it's done?

1. Prepare the container. The volume depends on the expected amount of water, but in the vast majority of cases, a plastic or metal barrel for one hundred liters is sufficient.
2. In the corner of the room, dig a hole of the appropriate size, set several metal bars or corners in diameter at the bottom. The container will rest on them.
3. Turn the barrel upside down and carefully lower it into the hole. Cover the cracks between the container with sand or earth.
4. Punch holes in it and attach drain pipes to them.

Step 4. To the bottom of the lag, nail slats or pieces of boards for the lathing (sub-floor). Insulation plates will be laid on them. It is needed in order to increase the comfort of staying in the steam room for young children. Wooden slats should also be impregnated with any solution from decay.

Step 5. It is recommended to prepare the floorboards in advance along the length. If there are problems with the dimensions of the bath (the angles are not equal to 90 °), then the length of each board will have to be adjusted separately. Fitted boards should be numbered to facilitate further installation.

Practical advice. It is more profitable to prepare the boards before installing the insulation layer: it is dangerous to move on it, it creates significant restrictions in movement.

Do not forget that the end of each board should fit snugly into the groove in the drain pan. Floor fitting work will have to be done by hand; use carpentry tools carefully. Never violate safety regulations. Professional builders say that tools should not be afraid, otherwise it will be difficult to work. But they must be respected, this is the only way to prevent injury.

Step 6. Install insulation in the niches. For a steam room, a thickness of five centimeters is enough. It may seem to inexperienced developers that this is not enough, because all building codes and regulations recommend a thickness of the insulation layer of at least ten centimeters. In regions with a cold climate, this parameter increases to 25 cm. The recommendations are correct, but only for living quarters, those in which people are constantly. Stay in the steam room is short-term. During this time, a 5 cm layer of insulation will not have time to warm up to its entire thickness, there will be no loss of active thermal energy. And after everyone has taken water procedures, heat loss does not matter.

The gaps between the insulation and wooden structures must be carefully foamed. It is recommended to use ordinary polyurethane foam, it is inexpensive, and the positive effect of the application is significant. If there is no practice of foaming, then it is better to learn a little, and then get to work.

Practical advice. If the amount of material is calculated correctly, then the foam that has come out does not interfere with fixing the floor boards in the steam room. Surplus should only be cut in exceptional cases. The fact is that during solidification, the pores are closed, water does not enter the foam. And after cutting off the excess, air pores open, moisture quietly penetrates into the foam. The negative consequences of this situation are well known to all.

Step 7. Start laying the boards on the floor, pay attention to the previously made numbering. If the boards are dry and level, then no problems arise. If they are warped due to high humidity or improper storage, then each will have to be pulled together. This is not very difficult to do, but you will need to buy a ready-made tightening device or make one yourself.

Each board is fixed at the edges with two hardware. You can use self-tapping screws (long and expensive) or ordinary nails. The length of the nails is chosen depending on the thickness of the boards. But there is one mandatory requirement: the depth of hammering nails into the log must be at least two thicknesses of the board. Otherwise, the risks of loosening the pilaf in the steam room are great. For example, if the thickness of the boards is 25 mm, then the length of the nails should be approximately 70 mm.

Step 8. The gaps between the floor and the walls around the perimeter of the room can also be foamed. This will be additional sealing.

Step 9. Nail in the baseboards. If your elements are made of plastic, then you do not need to cut off the protruding foam, we have already told why. The skirting boards are fixed with small nails or self-tapping screws.

This completes the work on laying the floor in the steam room, you can proceed to the finishing coating of the front surface.

Finishing coat

It is allowed to use a special resistant varnish as a topcoat. Before application, the surface should be sanded, the dust should be thoroughly vacuumed. It is better to use an electric machine for grinding, it not only facilitates the work, but also significantly improves the quality. You can never make such a smooth surface with your hands.

Acrylic wear-resistant varnishes have proven their good performance in practice. If the manufacturers are responsible, then the floor will be used for a long time, no periodic repairs will have to be done due to wear of the topcoat.

You can cover with an ordinary paint brush, the number of layers is at least two. Moreover, during the coating with the second layer, the brush should move in the perpendicular direction to the first. For steam rooms, it is recommended to make three or four layers of varnish, due to this, the duration of operation increases. Each subsequent one is applied only after the previous one has completely dried; there is no need to try to reduce the number of layers by increasing the thickness of each one. Such a gross violation of the coating technology has extremely negative consequences.

At the end of the work, it is recommended to ventilate the steam room for several days, during which time unpleasant odors and harmful chemical compounds will be completely removed. After the first warm-up, the airing must also be repeated, and only then is it allowed to enter the steam room.

Floorboards prices

floor boards

Video - Solid wood floor in the steam room

Video - Draining water from a bath on screw piles

The bathhouse consists of two rooms - a steam room (washing room) and a dressing room. Each of these premises has its own characteristics, the technology of floor construction takes these differences into account. Let's start first with more complex work - the floor in the steam room, and then we will consider the device of the floors in the dressing room.

High temperatures, high humidity and direct contact with water require extra care during flooring. Otherwise, washing will be uncomfortable and the floors will have to be changed frequently. So, we have a ready-made log house, what to start with the construction of floors and what they are.

Photo of the floor in the steam room, already finished and laid
Wooden floor in the steam room

Spilled floors - photo

The simplest option, they are laid only with natural (glued will not work!) Coniferous boards, the thickness of the boards is not less than 25 mm, the distance between the logs is not more than 80 cm, the distance between the beams is 1.0 ÷ 1.3, The thicker the board, the greater the distance maybe between lags. For lags, you can take bars of 50 × 100 mm, the dimensions of the beams are about 100 × 100 mm. There is a desire - make the impregnation with antiseptics, there is no desire - and without impregnation the floors will last for many years. The main difference between pouring floors is that water flows over the entire area in a slot with a width of ≈5 mm.

Do-it-yourself pouring floor. Instructions

Step 1.

The point is that the water must go into the ground. If the soil is sandy, no problem. If your soil is clayey or loamy, there will be problems. Baths are built on columnar or shallow strip foundations, they dig to a depth of about 50 cm, rarely anyone makes a sand pillow (but in vain!). Clay soils with an excess of moisture swell, the bath begins to "play" with all the negative consequences. This means that on clay soils, it is imperative to make a drainage if the foundations are closed (tape shallow). You should not be especially upset if the builders are responsible, then they must have left ventilation holes in the foundation, they can be used to drain water. There are no such holes - you have to do it yourself.

Step 2. The floors are laid on logs, logs on beams. And here a lot of things depend on the conscientiousness of the builders. They had to lay the beams during the laying of the timber. Didn't you get it? The problem is, you need to make columns for them.

The pillars should be poured only with concrete, the brick is afraid of moisture and crumbles after a few years.

Stage	Description
	Make markings, the distance between the posts is the same as the distance between the beams. In most cases, 1.0 ÷ 1.3 m is sufficient (for beams 100 × 100 mm). Dig square holes 50 centimeters deep, pour 15 ÷ 20 cm thick sand on the bottom and tamp it down, this will be a pillow that prevents swelling.
	In clayey soils, the formwork does not need to be done, the earth will hold its shape anyway, the formwork needs to be done only for the protruding part of the posts. For sandy soils, formwork will have to be done along the entire height of the posts. For formwork, you can use various waste boards, trimming OSB board or plywood. The height of the posts should be below the floor level (in construction, this level is considered to be the zero mark) to the height of the beams, the log and the thickness of the boards. First, you need to set the formwork of the extreme posts, pull the rope between them and put all the rest at this level.
	Pour concrete, making it elementary, no advice is needed.
	After pouring, you need to wait at least two weeks, during this period of time the concrete gains 50% of its final strength, you can already work with such material. Remove the formwork and check the position of the posts again. If necessary, adjust the posts with a cement-sand mortar, make them as equal in height as possible.

Video - An example of arranging a columnar base for logs

It is advisable to lay the beams on a waterproofing material, it is not necessary to use expensive modern cushioning materials, you can use ordinary roofing material or several layers of plastic film.

The beams are fixed to the posts with corners - a dowel in concrete, to a tree with a self-tapping screw or a nail. Lay the beams and logs according to the level, constantly check the spatial position, fix the logs to the beams with metal corners. Equal height is also checked with a rope stretched between the outer eiders. If necessary, pieces of boards should be placed under the logs for leveling. Just do not use wedges, they fall out over time, the emphasis of the gaskets should be over the entire area of ​​the beam.

Roofing material prices

roofing felt

Step 3. Laying boards.

Boards lie across the log, do not forget to leave gaps between them for water to drain. In order for the slots to have the same width, a thin river of suitable thickness can be used as a template. After laying the board, it is removed.

You can nail it down (quickly and cheaply), or you can use self-tapping screws. The main thing is that the hats must be flush. Why are nails better? The fact is that the relative humidity of the floors in the steam room varies considerably, the boards swell and dry out. The nails compensate for these changes in the thickness of the floor, they pull out a little from the log, the length of the nails in our case is approximately 70 mm. In general, there is a rule - the length of the nails should be three times longer than the thickness of the board to be nailed. Self-tapping screws hold "tightly", the boards break a little, which is not very desirable.

Video - Preparing boards for laying

Video - Installing beams, laying floorboards, floor insulation

Step 4. Finishing work - nailing the skirting boards, leveling and, if necessary, sanding the boards. The skirting boards are nailed in the usual way with small nails approximately 30 mm long. The specific values ​​depend on the thickness of the skirting boards. The cuts in the corners must be done at an angle of 45 °; there are special devices for cuts. If a factory device is at hand, then it will not be difficult to make it yourself. That's all, the drain floor is ready for "use".

Do not be afraid that the drain floors are cold and you will get a runny nose in the steam room. The temperature in the steam room is about + 80 ° C, the floor heats up from this heat, and large drafts from small cracks will not appear.

Leakproof floors

It is a little more difficult to make them, but the comfort of being in the steam room increases. They differ from the flowing ones in that there are no gaps between the boards, but there is a slight slope for draining the water.

You need to make a slope to one of the walls of the steam room, it should be borne in mind that periodically the mesh will have to be cleaned. This means that access to the drain must be free. At the point of discharge, it is advisable to make a water receiver and immediately bring it outside the perimeter of the foundation, it is not difficult to do this, the water flows down in one place (unlike leaking floors).

As for the preparatory work on the arrangement of ventilation holes in the foundation and the arrangement of stacks, these works are the same as we described above, but in the future there are differences.

Step 1. Preparing the posts. The markings for the distance between the posts, the depth, the preparation of the pad and the preparation of the concrete mixture are the same. Further differences. The point is that the posts should be at different heights. The floor is slightly higher near one side than near the other. The slope should not be made large, two to three millimeters per meter of floor is enough. For example, if you have a steam room 4 meters long, then the difference in the height of the extreme posts should be within 8 ÷ 12 millimeters. It will not be possible to immediately pour concrete with such accuracy; after removing the formwork, it will have to be adjusted with mortar. For the initial marking, you will need a simple hydro level, make marks on the formwork of the extreme posts. Then everything is already familiar - pull the thread between them and level the surfaces.

Step 2. And there is a lot in common, only the beams and logs will be at an angle, you also need to check their position using a stretched thread. After installing the last lags, do not be too lazy to check again the correctness of their position.

Step 3. Planking. Immediately you need to prepare the drain grate and come up with a drain method. Use hoses or pipe sections of the appropriate diameters. Before laying, check the boards for parallelism of the edges, if the curvatures exceed 5 mm - trim them on a thickness gauge. For laying the boards, you need to have special devices for their tight attraction. There are two options. The first is to buy ready-made in the store, it is inexpensive and works quite efficiently. The second option is to prepare ordinary metal staples and wooden wedges of various sizes.

Nail the first board against the wall, fix the stops on two logs. We have already said that these can be staples or factory fixtures. The distance between the stops and the first board should be several centimeters greater than the width of the second board. You can fix the stops further, and adjust the distance with dummy boards - it's faster, but more difficult. Install the second board and use the wedges to pull it tightly against the first, the slight bend will even out. Secure the second board with any hardware. Everything, you have mastered the "main operation", continue to mount the entire floor in the same way.

Do not forget to put a drain grate in the place where the water flows out. It can be home-made from galvanized sheet iron or purchased, there is not much difference, both do an excellent job with their functions.

Floorboards prices

floor boards

The floors in the dressing room

There are three options - ordinary planks, insulated and heated. The first ones are no different from the non-spill ones in the steam room, only they do not have a slope and, accordingly, no holes for draining water. Consider the two remaining options.

Insulated floors

The easiest option is to use polystyrene as insulation, although mineral wool can also be used in the dressing room. The posts, dimensions of beams, logs and boards are identical. Insulation installation technology has slight differences. Let's start with this operation.

Step 1. Rough floor. Insulation lays down to honey with a rough and clean floor. The subfloor is attached to the logs from below, made from scraps of boards, slabs, used plywood sheets or OSB boards. This is an "economical option", there is extra money - use new materials.

Step 2... Insulating materials are laid on the subfloor, make sure that there are no gaps between the individual sheets of insulation. If mineral wool is used, then you will have to make steam and hydro barriers, the wool is very afraid of moisture, when wet, the thermal insulation properties deteriorate sharply. But that's not all. After getting wet, it dries poorly, wooden structures are in long-term contact with wet cotton wool. What happens to them in such conditions - there is no need to tell.

OSB board prices

OSB boards

Video - Rough floor

Step 3. Finishing floor. We have already told you how to lay it, now you already have construction experience, the work will go faster.

Laying the floorboard on top of insulation - penoplex

Electric underfloor m

Quite a complex design, requires careful attention and some knowledge not only in construction, but also in electrical engineering. Before getting started, there are a few things you need to know.

1. It is not advisable to use boards, laminate and other wooden coatings for heated floors. Firstly, they have a very low thermal conductivity, most of the thermal energy will heat the ground, and not the floor and the room. Secondly, the risks of cracks or cracking of the material significantly increase, even the use of boards with a relative humidity of 8% does not always save. The fact is that as long as you use and lay down purchased dry boards, they will absorb moisture. You can, of course, use artificial plastic boards, but is it worth the effort?
2. It is necessary to accurately determine the source of heat. With water heating, you need to maintain engineering networks from home or install a separate boiler in the bath. Both options are dubious from an economic point of view. The electric heating option remains. But here, too, problems arise - for efficiency, the power of the heating elements should be approximately 140 W per square meter of the room. These are quite large values, you need to make sure that the power lines are consistent with these indicators.
3. Heating by electric current requires the installation of a complex of electrical wiring. All work should be performed in strict compliance with the PUE. Do you have such knowledge?

If everything is fine, then you can start working directly. In our case, underfloor heating will be for a ceramic coating, this is the most effective option.

Stage	Description
Step 1. Preparation of the base.	You need to level the site. The ideal option is to use foam concrete. With its help, the site is leveled, and thermal insulation of the heating elements from the ground is ensured - the efficiency of using heated floors is increased. But it is impossible to prepare foam concrete at home, special reagents are needed (this is still being solved) and a special unit (this is no longer being solved). We'll have to prepare ordinary concrete and cement-sand mixtures. The site should be leveled with concrete. To do this, first level the ground manually - the work will go faster, less concrete will be needed. Next, beacons are installed, you can buy them in a store, use even thin slats for these purposes, or make beacons from a solution. The third option is quite difficult, it requires skill and skill, it is better to use the first two. Beacons are installed under the level, try to make the base as even as possible and strictly in a horizontal plane. If horizontality is a little "naughty" - it does not matter, in the future you will have time to align. It is better to pour concrete over the entire area as quickly as possible, otherwise breaks will result. The concrete thickness is within 5 ÷ 8 cm, if heavy loads on the floor are expected - reinforce it with construction reinforcement of a periodic profile of Ø5 mm. You do not need to knit any mesh from the reinforcement, just lay it in the thickness of the concrete in rows at a distance of ≈ 30 ÷ 40 cm.Let it dry for at least a week, and preferably two. Lighthouses can not be removed, they will not interfere.
Step 2. Thermal insulation.	It is best to use high-strength foam with a thickness of up to ten centimeters. His physical strength indicators are quite suitable, and it is not difficult to work with him, and in terms of cost he satisfies the majority of developers. Lay the styrofoam in even and dense rows.
Step 3. Screed.	It must cover the foam and protect it from mechanical damage. For the screed, you need to use the so-called dry mortar. It is not completely dry, as you might think, it just has a lot less water than ordinary. Moisture is checked simply - you can squeeze it in your hand, moisture between the fingers should not seep, the lump should not crumble. Advantages of a dry mortar: due to its low density, it conducts heat poorly (additional thermal insulation), it is very quick and easy to work with it, and corresponds to the required parameters in terms of strength. Do the screed in the same way as for concrete, thickness 2 ÷ 3 centimeters.
Step 4. Laying heating elements.	There is nothing particularly complicated here, it is not worth taking time. Read the manufacturer's instructions and follow their recommendations.
Step 5. Laying ceramic tiles.	The tile can be laid directly on the heating elements, or you can make another screed with cement mortar, only not dry, but ordinary. The second option is preferable. Decide for yourself, the main thing is that the tile does not damage the electrical cables. The tiles are laid in the usual way. Here you already need to have at least some experience. If you have never done such work, you will have to learn on the go and suffer a little. Be prepared for what may not work the first time.
Step 5. Connection.	Manufacturers fully complete all protection and control devices, connect them according to the rules of the PUE, choose a place to install the automation.

Video - Screed

In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about the floors in the dressing room. Before proceeding with underfloor heating and underfloor heating, carefully weigh everything. These floors require skill, time and money, and the return on them is minimal. Any work should have logic, only in this case the efforts are justified. Think how long it takes to stand barefoot on a warm field for the insulation to trap the heat from the wood flooring, bring it back, and “warm” the feet? How long does it take to warm up the floors (and how much will it cost) just to undress / get dressed in a few minutes? Isn't it better or cheaper to use ordinary (or warm) slippers in the dressing room? And we described the technology of arranging warm floors in the dressing room only because there is a demand for such types.

How to make the correct floor in the bath? What type of construction is more acceptable? Which is better - concrete or wood flooring? This and much more will be covered in this article, in which you will find some very useful tips.

Classic old baths were heated with a stove. Neither insulation, nor, moreover, floor heating was even implied in them. The floors were earthen. In the best case, wooden flooring was made on them. There was no ventilation in the room, and the bathhouse was heated "in black", expelling combustion products through a doorway or a small window located under the very eaves.

Modern construction has a lot of techniques and principles for the construction of various-format structures using various forms and methods of warming bases using ultra-technological materials obtained as a result of the irrepressible growth of scientific and technological progress using nanotechnology.

But the basic principle of the construction of baths with a full set of internal premises remained the same. Is that, paying tribute to the current moment, in addition to the steam room, washing room and dressing room, new relaxation zones, a pool, a billiard room and some other rooms have been added. But modern projects of bath buildings completely depend on the whims and wishes of the customer, as they say: "For every pocket."

Object construction

The process of building your own steam room is multi-stage, including several significant stages. The arrangement of floors is a separate stage, which includes not only the installation of floors, but also the device of ventilation, sewerage, hydro, steam and thermal insulation.

Much depends on the quality of building and finishing materials, as well as on the chosen technology for carrying out construction work. There are many subtleties for laying floors and their components in a bathhouse. More than one volume of recommendations from leading builders has been written on the correct arrangement of bath floors, depending on their varieties.

Floor laying

The issue of paramount importance for creating a room project is the choice of material for the flooring. For a modern private bath, today the most acceptable options are two types of structures being built - a wooden device and a concrete foundation. Each of them has its own positive aspects, as well as some nuances of technical difficulties when creating.

A classic of the genre is the creation of cozy and environmentally friendly wooden floors. The main advantage is the speed of their construction and installation. In addition, it is believed that natural wood brings coziness to the room, a special flavor and fills the room with life-giving power.

Varieties of designs. General information

By their design features, wooden floors are divided into two types:

• Leaking

They allow water to freely penetrate through the ceiling, flowing into a specially equipped underground. For their device, floorboards are used, laid on the same level so that gaps or cracks with a width of at least 5 mm are formed between them so that the tree swollen from water does not allow the formation of congestion. Water flowing into the underground is absorbed by the soil or artificially drained from under the foundation.

The biggest disadvantage is the impossibility of carrying out measures to insulate the floor, since the structure is removable and is taken out for drying after each reception of procedures. flowing type, as a rule, are arranged in baths of seasonal operation.

• Not leaking

The name speaks for itself. Water does not seep between floor slots, but is collected and drained out of the room. For this, the floors are made with a slight inclination towards the water drain hole, which is equipped with a drain pipe leading towards the pit and the sewer network.

A construction of this type requires additional installation of a rough floor with the organization of an insulation cushion, consisting of several layers. This method of flooring is somewhat costly, both physical and financial. But with the right device, compliance with all the rules and regulations of technical equipment, the result is a practical, warm and high-quality flooring, which can be used at any time of the year.

Racks

Wooden flooring is readily available for self-assembly. This requires logs or beams, 150x150 mm in size. They serve as a supporting floor on which the deck is attached. To give the lags strength, they are laid on brick or reinforced concrete pillars. In size, the posts should be at least 150 mm thick, so that the width of the site under the laid logs is slightly larger.

In height, they must correspond to the upper line of the foundation, if the tape option is used. When installing a columnar, or foundation on screw piles, the logs should be on the same level with the embedded crown in such a way that the upper line of the supports coincides with the upper horizon of the beams.

Before starting any installation, all wooden parts of the structure are treated with protective equipment, in particular with an antiseptic at least 2 times and covered with waterproofing. Roofing material, roofing felt, bitumen or glassine are used as waterproofing materials.

Underground

Before the installation of an underground with a flowing type of floor, the composition of the soil is initially investigated. If it is composed of light, quickly absorbing water rocks, such as sandstone or sandy loam, then for the subfloor it is enough to dig a hole with a depth of at least 400 mm and fill it with filtering material. Crushed stone is used as a filter, against which the water flow breaks up and quickly seeps to the drainage layer.

When the soil is folded with clayey rocks, which practically do not allow water to pass through, a kind of hydraulic structure is established underground. It consists of a tank and pipes leading to the pit. The outflow of water from it occurs either by gravity or with the help of auxiliary means embedded in the structure.

The underground, with a non-leaking type of overlap, is fully equipped to drain drainage water using hydraulic structures. Also, great attention is paid to the floor ventilation device. To do this, leave gaps of at least 150 mm to the laid logs or make appropriate holes in the rough floor into which plastic pipes with a diameter of 50 to 150 mm are mounted.

Lags and flooring

The structure of the flowing type is built quickly, not taking up either effort or time. The first board is rigidly attached to the wall with nails, the rest are laid relative to it with a step of at least 35 mm to form cracks through which water will escape. This design does not require specific methods of laying the logs, so they can be laid from any wall of the room.

If, for example, we are doing with a non-flowing type structure, then it is necessary to create a slight slope towards the drainage of the water.

The device of a non-leaking structure begins with the implementation of a base overlap - a rough flooring, on which an insulation cushion is attached. It includes a multi-layer system of steam, hydro and thermal insulation layers on which a finishing coating is laid from tightly fitted edged or grooved boards. Special attention should be paid to the groove position of the grooved board. It should be directed towards the inside of the bath. Fastening is done with nails or wood grouse screws.

• concrete floor

A concrete floor has a number of positive qualities. It is not afraid of large temperature changes, does not undergo destruction by putrefactive bacteria and is easy to maintain. The service life of a concrete floor significantly exceeds the working time of wooden floors.

The main point for the installation of a concrete floor is soil preparation. To do this, thoroughly ram the soil and form a crushed stone cushion, at least 150 mm thick, which is impregnated with bitumen. The purpose of the pillow is the distribution of loads during the operation of the building.

Since any concrete structure, in terms of its physical characteristics, is a rather cold object, since concrete has a rather low coefficient of thermal conductivity, this floor must be insulated. Such an operation can be performed using one of two methods:

1. Concrete in two layers

The base is laid in two layers, between which there is an insulation cushion. For the organization of a two-layer type of base, the most key point is the correct preparation of the concrete solution.

The bottom layer, 150 mm high, consists of large fractions of crushed stone, conglomerate or broken brick, at least 35 mm in diameter, filled with a cement-sand mixture. In case of large volumes of construction, the territory is divided along guides into a meter wide strip, which are subsequently simultaneously filled with a screed. The screed itself with this option turns out to be quite even and beautiful.

To form the top layer, a fine and very fine fraction of crushed stone is used. The main point in the construction of the second layer is its careful compaction and maintenance of the concrete that is gaining strength. Therefore, for several days, the base must be moistened - cover the surface with wet sawdust.

1. Formation of one layer

On the upper part of the base, a layer of thermal insulation is formed, which allows the arrangement of floors with a wooden covering, or the use of electric or water heating systems for the flooring.

Concrete floor insulation

Regardless of what type of insulation will be used, it is laid on a prepared waterproofing layer without vents with carefully sealed joints of the sheets. Most often, roofing material is used for these purposes. Seamless waterproofing can be used, such as liquid rubber, which is very easy to install and allows even hard-to-reach areas to be insulated. But before applying liquid insulators, it is recommended to prime the entire surface.

The process of warming is started as soon as the lower insulating layer is ready. Insulation materials of various types are used as heaters:

• fine fraction of expanded clay, or expanded clay sand combined with expanded clay gravel;
• boiler slag;
• slab mineral or basalt wool;
• from modern materials polpan or expanded polystyrene;
• foam concrete.

All of them have a number of advantages, but are not devoid of some disadvantages.

To achieve the required thermal conductivity threshold, the boiler slag embankment must significantly exceed the thickness of the expanded clay gravel layer. Despite the fact that the cost is much higher than the price of slag, it is better to use it as thermal insulation, since expanded clay is an environmentally friendly product.

The use of expanded polystyrene is limited by the fact that rodents happily settle in its thickness.

Foam concrete is an excellent insulation material, but it has a very serious drawback - it absorbs water in large volumes, since it is a hygroscopic material.

Work order

Before starting the installation of floors, it is necessary to treat all the elements of wooden structures several times with antiseptic preparations. In addition, if the bath is arranged on a strip foundation, it is necessary to subject its entire surface to treatment with liquid tar and lay a double layer of roofing material.

After these manipulations, the following stages of work are ahead:

• laying of underlays;
• installation and installation of lags;
• laying rough floors;
• work on laying insulation cushions;
• rolling of the finished floor.

Fine wood floor

The finishing is done with great care and accuracy. At the beginning of work, it is necessary to install a two-centimeter rail along the short wall. It is fastened with self-tapping screws and serves as a starting point or base rail for the ends of the floorboards.

The first board is laid with a longitudinal edge with a spike to the wall at a distance of 20 mm. Self-tapping screws cut into the attachment points to the joists flush with the working surface.

All other floorboards are installed in relation to the first, high-quality reinforced floorboard. The spike should fit into the groove freely enough. The floorboards are adjusted to each other in such a way that a continuous surface is obtained. To do this, at the points of attachment to the logs, the boards are tapped with a hammer on a special bar, driving them until the gap disappears, after pressing it with its end to the base rail.

It is believed that with this method of installation, the floorboard may burst. It depends on the quality of the board itself and the presence of knots in it. Cracking can also occur when strengthening it with self-tapping screws. Therefore, it is recommended that before drowning the self-tapping screw into the wood, pre-drill an entrance for it at an angle of 45 degrees.

The reinforcement of the floorboard is carried out to each log using a screwdriver, recessing the head of the self-tapping screw so that it does not interfere with the installation of the next floorboard.

The last floorboard will most likely need to be trimmed to its full length. Here you must not forget and leave a gap of 20 mm to the wall. To do this, you will need to prepare additional blocks or wooden wedges that are driven in between the floorboard and the wall. The final fastening is made in the same way as the starting fastening.

Video about the correct bath device

A distance of at least 150 mm must be maintained between the internal backfill of the foundation and the subfloor in order to create a ventilation space in the underground.

Walking noise is damped with fiberglass soundproofing pads 100x100x4 mm. They are usually applied to the waterproofing layer before installing the joists.

All wooden structures that were opened during installation work should be subjected to additional treatment with antiseptic preparations.

The installation of the floorboards should be carried out in such a way that the water flow runs across the board.

All structures must be made of wood, at least 15% moisture, in other words, well dried, in order to avoid the formation of twisting, drying, delamination and other types of deformation of wooden floors.

The bathhouse is a specific structure, for the construction of which special requirements are imposed. When building a Russian bath, it is important to take into account two main features of this building: high humidity and high temperature. The floor in the bath is the coldest place, and the materials for it must only be of natural origin. If they contain synthetic components, they will release toxic substances when heated. The floor in the steam room has its own characteristics, since this part of the bath is characterized by the highest temperatures. How to make a floor in a steam room?

Primary requirements

Bath floors must meet certain safety requirements. It is necessary to choose a covering for bath pilaf taking into account the indicators of injury safety. It is better to refuse a tiled covering, since a slippery floor surface can lead to unwanted injuries. The floor structure is formed taking into account the high humidity of the room. If you prefer to see a boardwalk in the steam room of your bath, then it should be made only of coniferous wood, resistant to both moisture and decay processes.

It is preferable to make the floor in the steam room solid. In this section of the bath, there is no need to create a leaky structure. The coating may not have cracks, but it is necessary to descend with a slope towards the drain, which is located above the drainage pit. Experts recommend covering the edges of the floor with a waterproof skirting board. Such a plinth will act as a protective barrier and protect the wooden floorboards from decay. The bottom edge of the walls under the skirting board will be closed so that moisture cannot penetrate under the wall cladding.

Removable lattice panels are often used as an additional covering in Russian baths. Such panels can also be placed in a steam room. Before use, wooden lattices are impregnated with antiseptic agents and dried well after each procedure. Removable panels, if necessary, can be easily replaced with new ones, as they are inexpensive.

The tile floor in the steam room of the Russian bath is not entirely appropriate, not only because of the slippery surface. This flooring gets very hot, so you can burn your feet from the tiled floor in the steam room. The use of wooden trellises easily solves this problem.

If you want to make a concrete floor in the bath, you must first think over its insulation. Mineral or basalt wool is most often used as insulation. As a cushion for insulation, a base of crushed stone and sand is poured, after which they are engaged in hydro and vapor barrier.

For long-term operation of floors in a steam bath during construction, ventilation holes in the foundation should be provided. They will provide the fresh air needed to dry the floor, prevent rotting processes and eliminate unpleasant odors.

For the flooring in the steam room, choose natural materials, the use of linoleum, laminate or other similar flooring in the bath is not allowed: when their surface is heated, you can get poisoned by the emitted toxic elements. Wood treatment chemicals should also be used with great care. The best option would be to completely abandon them, if this cannot be done, then pay attention to the funds produced specifically for such purposes.

You can make the floor in the steam room of the bath with your own hands, the main thing is to choose not only good building materials for the floor, but also to choose high-quality fasteners. All parts must be resistant to moisture and high temperatures. Regular nails will quickly become rusty and leave dirty streaks on the wood, and hot fasteners can even cause burns.

Rough floor

The bath floor should consist of rough and fine coatings. Modern floor designs for bath rooms involve a combination of a concrete base and an upper plank flooring. The old methods, which include a wooden base, are a thing of the past. This method of arranging the floors of the bathhouse is not effective due to the rapid deterioration of the rough covering from moisture and decay.

The concrete screed for the floor in the steam room is made at an angle to the drain. The baths do not provide for the drainage of water from this room, since it is already in the washing compartment: it makes no sense to organize another drain. Work begins with the laying of boards on the load-bearing beams and the installation of a waterproofing layer made of polyethylene film. The film is covered in several layers, the walls of the steam room are pasted over with damper tape around the perimeter.

The concrete floor in the steam room will expand under the influence of high temperatures, the damper tape, acting as a shock absorber, will protect the walls from mechanical stress. All work can be done by hand, the concrete base is poured according to the principle of a standard screed. The solution is poured onto a prepared base to a height of 10 cm; for the strength of such a screed, a reinforcing mesh should be laid before pouring.

After the concrete has dried, it is necessary to lay a layer of thermal insulation materials. The floor in the steam room does not participate in heating the bath, and the concrete base is characterized by a low temperature. Experts advise to install a layer of polystyrene on top of the concrete base, which will reflect the heat back into the steam room.

When the insulation is fixed, you can proceed to installing the beacons and pouring the finishing screed. Beacons are installed taking into account the slope of the surface to the hole for the water drain. The final filling is done with a standard cement mortar with the addition of liquid glass: this substance will become an additional binding element and protection from moisture.

Wood flooring

The final flooring in the bath can be different, you can leave the concrete screed or cover it with tiles or porcelain stoneware. In these conditions, during the operation of the structure, for a comfortable visit to the bath, you will have to use wooden lattices. The most optimal finishing option can be recognized as a wooden floor, such a coating is appropriate to use both in the steam room of a bath, and in the washing department. Plank floors are the best solution for a sauna. They are made of environmentally friendly material, pleasant to look at and retain the very spirit of the Russian bath.

Boards before laying are pretreated with special compounds for baths. The impregnation will protect the wood from water and the spread of mildew and mildew. Then logs are installed on the rough surface. Usually they are attached to the walls of the log house with corners or staples. Experts assemble them into the masonry even during the construction of the walls. To understand how the junction of the lag with the walls should look like, it is recommended to consider a photo of the process of arranging a wooden floor in a bath.

The logs must be installed strictly horizontally; during work, it is necessary to constantly check with a level. It is not required to make a slope of the final finished floor; the final coating will be installed on even logs. The steam room floor is exposed to moisture. In order for the water to drain onto the concrete base, the boards should be installed with some gaps. The optimal distance can be considered a value of 0.5-1 cm - such slots will not create inconvenience when visiting the bath, and the water will flow down freely. When leaving gaps, it is necessary to take into account that after several visits to the paired board, it will slightly expand under the influence of humidity and temperature, and the distance between them will noticeably decrease.

The boards are fixed to the logs with self-tapping screws. The caps of the self-tapping screws should not protrude over the board, so they should be sunk deeper into the wood, and then sealed with a special heat-resistant compound.

A wooden floor in a steam room with your own hands can be made in a few days, but making a concrete base takes much longer. If you comply with all the requirements for arranging the floor in a steam bath, you will receive a high-quality coating that is resistant to the effects of specific room conditions and is ready for long-term use.

In order for the floor in the steam room to last as long as possible, you need to know several important points. Any work requires an action plan, therefore, before starting work, it is strongly recommended that you draw up a drawing of a future bath. In the process, it is necessary to determine the parameters of the structure and its premises, the location and dimensions of the main internal structures. A wooden deck with a concrete base takes up a lot of space and reaches a minimum of 20 cm in height.

How to make a secure floor in a steam room? In order for the floor to serve you as long as possible, the wood for its manufacture must be as dry as possible. If the moisture content of the boards is high, then the entire flooring will lead after the first use of the steam room for its intended purpose. The wood must be well impregnated with special protective substances, sometimes the procedure can be repeated more than once. The better protected the material, the more it will last.

When installing wooden flooring, gaps should remain not only between the boards, but also between the flooring itself and the wall. The reason for this arrangement of the boards is the same: the wood will swell over time and rest against the wall. To avoid distortions of the walls and floor, experts advise leaving a couple of centimeters around the perimeter of the steam room.

It is better to refuse any synthetic materials and chemicals containing toxic substances. The harmful elements released during heating can ruin your health, and the bath is a place where both the soul and the body are healed.