How to lay the floor in a steam room. How to make a floor in a bathhouse - we follow all construction rules. Video - How to make a subfloor with your own hands

Reading time ≈ 15 minutes

One of the main stages of building a bathhouse is the arrangement of floors. The convenience, functionality and service life of the building largely depend on the flooring. Further in the article you will find an overview possible options coverings with diagrams, as well as the answer to the most important question - how to make a floor in a bathhouse with your own hands.

Wooden bathhouse.

Floor options

When choosing a floor design for a bathhouse or sauna, it is worth understanding that these premises consist of several rooms with different functions and conditions, and therefore the requirements for the floors are different. In general, all floor structures consist of several parts:

rough floor It can be concrete or on wooden logs. Screed concrete is sometimes not covered with a floor covering and is used as a floor;
flooring. Can be made of wood ceramic tiles.

Tree

Wood is a familiar, traditional material that has been used for centuries to furnish the floor in a bathhouse or sauna. Advantages of wood flooring:

affordable cost (especially from inexpensive species, for example, pine);
ease of working with wood, simple installation, as well as repairs;
Beautiful appearance, familiar to traditional Russian baths/saunas;
warm floor, comfort when in contact with bare feet;
safe, non-slip, environmentally friendly coating.

However, there are some disadvantages:

the comparative fragility of a wooden floor under the influence of constant moisture and high temperature (the need for periodic replacement and repair);
lack of design choice.

It is also worth clarifying that wooden floors in a bathhouse can be of two types:

Tile

Although ceramic tiles are not a traditional flooring material in a Russian bathhouse, they are now increasingly used in steam rooms for reasons of practicality and convenience. And not in vain, because the material has many significant advantages:

Ceramic tiles for finishing the bath floor.

long service life (if the laying technology is followed, the tiles will last for more than one generation);
hygiene and ease of care/cleaning;
resistance to mechanical stress, humidity, elevated temperatures and changes, aggressive chemicals;
unlimited design possibilities thanks to a wide range of colors, patterns, layouts. If you wish and have the funds, you can post the whole picture or make it for real unique interior baths

Important! Bath tiles must have the appropriate markings - A1 and B1. It is also important to choose the correct material thickness - 9 mm or more. Regarding the wear resistance class - if the bathhouse is intended only for family use once a week, it is enough to choose class 2. If the room will be used frequently, the highest level of wear resistance will be required - class 4-5.

Tile marking.

But to make an informed decision, you need to know about the disadvantages of the material:

cold floor;
Slippery floors – increased risk of falls. To reduce the risk of falling, you need to choose tiles with a rough, grooved surface;
high cost of material and work (to the cost of the tile itself, you need to add the price of ties, glue, grout).

In the comparative table below you can see the assessment of wood and tiles according to the most important criteria:

Floor in different rooms of the bath

Since the bathhouse/sauna consists of various rooms with different conditions, then the requirements for flooring in these rooms may differ significantly:

Arrangement of the subfloor

As we indicated, the bathhouse must have a subfloor on which the coating will be laid. This can be a concrete base or on wooden joists.

Concrete option

Concrete floors in a bathhouse are a durable, strong and reliable foundation. This floor is perfect for a large bathhouse with several rooms, which is used all year round. The service life of a concrete floor is more than 50 years.
It is especially advisable to construct a concrete base in the steam room and washing room.

Advantages of a concrete base:

long service life;
increasing strength over time (subject to the correct technology);
resistance to mechanical stress, temperature changes, moisture and steam, dampness and rotting.

Concrete floor installation.

Concrete floors can be used for buildings with strip and column foundations. In the photo above you can see the structure of the concrete floor, which resembles a layer cake:

Soil (often sandy) or a layer of sand.
A layer of crushed stone up to 5 cm thick.
The first ball of concrete is up to 5 cm thick.
Waterproofing material.
A layer of insulation up to 8-10 cm thick.
Finish screed (if the room area is large, reinforcement is added).
Clean floor covering.

Preparatory work and materials

Be sure to provide a method for removing used water. There are two possible options:

pit arrangement. This is a drainage basin with concrete walls, at least 0.3 m deep. It is very important to equip the drainage pipe in the steam room with a water seal to prevent stench. Also provide for a slope from the pit to the gutter.
discharge of water into the soil under the washing/steam room. This option is available when the bathhouse is located on sandy soils, which absorb moisture well. The depth of the catchment must be at least 0.6 m. It can be filled with gravel and the remains of broken bricks. When further arranging, it is necessary to take into account the level of inclination to the drainage basin.

After preparatory work You can proceed directly to pouring the concrete base. Necessary materials:

medium sand;
crushed stone;
cement M400;
reinforcing mesh (cell sizes: 1*1 cm or 1.5*1.5 cm);
mineral wool;
waterproofing material.

Proportions of mortar for screed.

Step by step process

Step-by-step instructions for pouring a concrete base:

To prepare the solution for the screed, follow these instructions:

Mix expanded sand (perlite) with water (2 buckets per 10 liters).
After reducing the volume of the mixture, add 5 kg of M400 cement.
Mix thoroughly, then add another 5 liters of water. Stir until the solution reaches a homogeneous consistency.
Finally, add 2 liters of water and 1 bucket of expanded sand. 10 minutes after mixing, the mixture will acquire plastic properties and become ready for use.

Ready concrete floor in the bathhouse.

Very rarely, concrete screed is used as a direct finishing floor covering and in most cases it is finished with tiles or wood. It is worth considering that this is a cold floor and when used open, a high level of discomfort may occur.

Floor on wooden joists

If you plan to make a wooden pourable or non-spillable floor, then the base can be built on wooden logs.

Installation of support posts for logs.

For a wooden floor, you need to choose carefully dried boards with a thickness of at least 4 cm. Larch is best suited - it is highly durable, but also high in cost. You can use alder and pine.

Underground

This is the name of the space between the soil and the wooden base. To equip it, you need to make a 40 cm recess around the entire perimeter. Next you need to make support posts:

At a distance of 1 m from each other, dig holes 40*40 cm with a depth of 40 cm.
Make a pillow from crushed stone (15 cm) and sand (15 cm). Both layers need to be well compacted. Also, both layers should be sloping towards drainage.
Make formwork and install it in the recesses. The formwork must be raised above ground level to such a height that logs can be installed. Mix a solution of cement, sand and crushed stone in the following proportion: 1:3:5. Fill the wells with solution and level the surface.

Arrangement of support columns.

Important! The top edge of all columns should be on the same horizon line. To do this, use a control rope and a building level.

Checking the level of columns.

The mixture should dry for about 3 days. After that, the tops of the support columns need to be waterproofed with bitumen. Instead of a cement mixture, the columns can be built from bricks, placing them on the mortar.
Afterwards, the entire surface must be covered with roofing felt in one layer, securing the seams with bitumen.
Additionally, all surfaces can be treated with bitumen: columns, a layer of roofing material.

Important! To dry the subfloor (roofing felt), it is imperative to ensure high-quality ventilation! To do this, you need to provide vents in the foundation - special holes that are constantly open. They need to be closed only during the period of heating the bathhouse and using the steam room.

Laying lags

As logs you need to use high-quality beams with a cross-section of 5*18 cm. Step-by-step guide:

The beams need to be cut to the required length according to the parameters of the room.
The cut beams are laid on support pillars. It is important that they are on the same horizon line. To do this, you can use either linings or trim the logs.
The logs are attached to the posts. To do this, you can use a corner, self-tapping screws (regular nails) and screws with dowels.
Finally, all metal elements, as well as the beams themselves, must be completely waterproofed using bitumen. Ignoring this step risks very rapid rotting of the board.

Logs placed on posts.

torrential view

One of the options for making a floor in a bathhouse with your own hands is pouring flooring, the diagram of which we will consider further. Having created the basis according to the instructions discussed above, you can begin arrangement.

Important! The pouring type of polo can be used in buildings in warm latitudes, or if the bathhouse is used only in the summer.

Leaky floor installation.

The pouring floor is easy to install and inexpensive. It will be very easy to make even for a beginner. Roughly speaking, it is a flooring made of boards with gaps through which water flows. There is no drainage system - water seeps straight into the ground. You can also build a tray under the bottom of the room to ensure water drainage into.

Step by step guide:

Prepare boards to suit the length of the room.
Start laying the boards across the support joists, maintaining a gap of 3 to 6 mm. A gap of 20 mm must be maintained at the wall.
The boards do not need to be attached to the joists! To fasten the structure, additional transverse boards are used on top of the decking, to which the decking is attached with screws. Subsequently, they can be easily unscrewed, and the boards can be removed and taken out to dry.

Tip: to prevent water from stagnating in the wood fibers, the board must be carefully planed on all sides before laying.

Leaking floor: cross-sectional projection.

Alternatively, all boards can be attached to the joists with screws without using an additional cross board. And make several on one wall removable boards(unattached), which can be removed for cleaning and drying the underground. It is worth understanding that the option with pouring floors not suitable as a solid, durable coating, especially if you plan to use the steam room very often.

Drip floor.

Non-spill view

This type of wooden flooring is complex and at the same time more comfortable. Visually, such a floor does not have any cracks in the coating, but it is equipped with a slope for water drainage. It is important to immediately ensure the drainage of water from under the foundation - build a catch basin and drain it into the sewer system. Considering that the water will flow into one place (as opposed to a pour-over design), this will be quite easy to do.

Non-spill floor.

Step by step guide:

Arrangement of the underground space, preparation of recesses for posts, ventilation are identical to the option described above.
Next, the main difference is that the columns should be at different levels - with a lower height at the drainage point. Tilt level: 3 mm per meter. That is, with a room length of 4 m, the height difference will be only 12 mm. To do this, after pouring concrete into the formwork, it will be necessary to adjust the height of the columns (after removing the formwork).
The logs are installed on the posts similarly to the method above: using corners, screws and dowels.
Next, a rough wooden floor is made from uncut or second-grade boards. The boards need to be fastened not on top of the joists, but under them!
The subfloor is covered with a layer of waterproofing (for example, roofing felt) and insulation (for example, expanded clay, which can be poured into the space between the joists). On top there is another layer of waterproofing. At this point, the subfloor is complete and ready for finishing.
Before laying the boards, you need to prepare the drain. It will require a grid (mesh), tube or hose.

Siphon for draining in a bathhouse.

As a flooring, you need to use a tongue and groove board - such boards have protrusions (tongues) that fit into the grooves of adjacent boards, thereby ensuring a tight fit. The boards do not need to be fixed to the subfloor, but are fastened together with a cross beam.

Tongue board.

Floor in dry rooms

These rooms will include a dressing room and a rest room (sometimes these functional areas are located in the same room). You can make a simple plank floor from tongue and groove boards without slope or drainage. You can also install an insulated floor – we’ll look at how to do this below.

Since the technology for installing posts, support beams and boards is similar, we will dwell in more detail on the moment of laying the insulation.

Insulated floor.

So we looked at various options and diagrams of how you can make a bathhouse floor with your own hands. Remember that it is advisable to choose a floor for a bathhouse at the design stage of the building, in order to provide for all the nuances and not avoid problems.

Video: how to properly make floors in a bathhouse.

A bathhouse is a specific structure, the construction of which has special requirements. When constructing a Russian bathhouse, it is important to take into account two main features of this building: high humidity and high temperature. The floor in the bathhouse is the coldest place, and the materials for it should 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 bathhouse is characterized by the highest temperatures. How to make a floor in a steam room?

Primary requirements

Bathroom floors must meet certain safety requirements. It is necessary to choose a coating for bath pilafs taking into account injury safety indicators. It is better to avoid tiled flooring, as a slippery floor surface can lead to unwanted injuries. The floor design is formed taking into account the high humidity of the room. If you prefer to see a boardwalk in your steam room, then it should be made only from coniferous wood, resistant to both moisture and rotting processes.

It is preferable to make the floor in the steam room solid. There is no need to create a leaking structure in this section of the bathhouse. The coating may not have cracks, but it must slope down towards the drain, which is located above the drainage pit. Experts recommend covering the edges of the floor with a waterproof baseboard. This skirting board will act as a protective barrier and protect the wooden floorboards from rotting. The bottom edge of the walls under the baseboard will be covered, so moisture will not be able to penetrate under the wall sheathing.

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 gratings 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.

A tiled floor in the steam room of a Russian bath is not entirely appropriate, not only because of the slippery surface. This coating gets very hot, so you can get your feet burned from the tiled floor in the steam room. Using wooden gratings easily solves this problem.

If you want to make a concrete floor in the bathhouse, then you first need to think about its insulation. Mineral or basalt wool is most often used as insulation. A base of crushed stone and sand is poured as an insulation cushion, after which hydro- and vapor barriers are applied.

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

For flooring in the steam room, choose natural materials, the use of linoleum, laminate or other similar coating in a bathhouse is not permitted: when heating their surface, you can be poisoned by the toxic elements released. Chemical compounds for wood processing 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 products 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 Construction Materials for the floor, but also choose high-quality fasteners. All parts must be resistant to moisture and high temperature. Ordinary nails will quickly become rusty and leave dirty streaks on the wood, and hot fastenings can even cause burns.

Subfloor

The floor of the bathhouse should consist of rough and finishing coatings. Modern floor designs for bathhouses involve a combination of a concrete base and an upper plank flooring. Old methods, including a wooden base, are becoming a thing of the past. This method of arranging the floors of a bathhouse is not effective due to the rapid deterioration of the rough covering from moisture and rotting.

The concrete screed for the floor in the steam room is made at an angle towards the drain. The baths do not provide for drainage of water from this room, since it is already in the washing compartment: there is no point in organizing another drain. Work begins with laying boards on the load-bearing beams and laying a waterproofing layer of polyethylene film. The film is covered in several layers, the walls of the steam room are covered 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 with your own hands; the concrete base is poured according to the principle of a standard screed. The solution is poured onto the prepared base to a height of 10 cm; to ensure 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 thermal insulation materials. The floor in the steam room does not participate in heating the bath, and the concrete base has a low temperature. Experts advise installing a layer of polystyrene on top of the concrete base, which will reflect 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 water drainage. 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 against moisture.

Wood flooring

The final floor covering in the bathhouse may be different; you can leave the concrete screed or cover it with tiles or porcelain stoneware. Under these conditions, when operating the structure, you will have to use wooden gratings for a comfortable visit to the bathhouse. The most optimal finishing option is a wooden floor; such a covering is appropriate to use both in the steam room of a bathhouse and in the washroom. Plank floors are the most The best decision for a bath. They are made from environmentally friendly material, are pleasant to look at and retain the very spirit of the Russian bathhouse.

Before laying, the boards are pre-treated with special compounds for baths. Impregnation will protect the wood from water and the spread of fungus and mold. Then logs are installed on the rough coating. Usually they are attached to the walls of the log house using corners or brackets. Experts install them into the masonry even during the construction of walls. To understand how the junctions of the joists with the walls should look, it is recommended to look at a photo of the process of arranging a wooden floor in a bathhouse.

The logs must be installed strictly horizontally, and during work it is necessary to constantly check using a level. There is no need to slope the final finished floor; the final coating will be installed on even joists. The floor in the steam room is exposed to moisture. To allow 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 gaps will not create inconvenience when visiting the bathhouse, and the water will flow down freely. When leaving gaps, it is necessary to take into account that after several visits, the steam boards will expand slightly under the influence of humidity and temperature, and the distance between them will noticeably decrease.

The boards are fixed to the joists using self-tapping screws. The heads of the screws should not protrude on top of the board, so they should be recessed deeper into the wood and then sealed with a special heat-resistant compound.

You can make a wooden floor in a steam room with your own hands 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 a few important points. Any work requires an action plan, so before starting work it is strongly recommended to start drawing up a drawing of the future bathhouse. 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. Wooden flooring with a concrete base takes up quite a lot of space and reaches at least 20 cm in height.

How to make a reliable floor in a steam room? In order for the floor to serve you as long as possible, the wood used to make it must be as dry as possible. If the humidity of the boards is high, then the entire flooring will deteriorate after the first use of the steam room for its intended purpose. The wood must be thoroughly impregnated with special protective substances; sometimes the procedure can be repeated more than once. The better the material is protected, the longer 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 distance of a couple of centimeters around the perimeter of the steam room.

From any synthetic materials and chemicals containing toxic substances, it is better to refuse. Harmful elements released during heating can ruin your health, and the bathhouse is a place where both soul and body are healed.

Arrangement of the floor in a bathhouse is one of the important and rather difficult moments in the overall process of its construction. The floor in the steam room can be made with your own hands different ways, and the choice of technology may depend both on the preference of the owner and on the material from which the entire structure is mainly constructed.

In order for the bathhouse to function normally and be as comfortable as possible for visitors, when installing floors it is necessary to take into account some conditions, which include:

Possibility of easy independent
Sufficient surface rigidity, anti-slip properties, and ease of walking with bare feet on a wet surface.
Good heat retention.
Possibility of easy surface cleaning.

The design of the floor in a steam room largely depends on the material from which it will be made, so there are several types of its construction.

Necessary materials

For preparatory and main work on installing any floors, building materials will be needed:

Cement, gravel-sand mixture and sand.
Waterproofing material - polyethylene film and roofing felt.
Pipe for draining used water.
Reinforcing mesh and beacons.
Insulation material.
A wooden beam, the size of which will depend on the structure being built. If you plan to make removable gratings, then a beam of 30 × 50 mm in size is required. When installing a completely wooden floor and joists, the dimensions of the timber should be approximately 70 × 100 and 50 × 80 mm.
A massive tongue-and-groove board with a tongue-and-groove lock is needed for a floor that does not leak, but for a leaky floor, a smooth, well-planed one is needed.
Compositions for treating wood that will make it moisture resistant.
To make some flooring options you will need asbestos concrete pipe or brick.
Grate and siphon for drainage.

Main types of bath floor designs

Asbestos concrete The pipes, which are laid on a compacted embankment, serve not only as joists for the plank flooring, but also as vents that help ventilate the underground space.

The numbers on the diagram indicate:

1 - Waterproofing, laid on the upper section of the foundation under the wooden elements of the wall. For these purposes, roofing felt is usually used.

2 – Bathhouse foundation.

3 - Log wall of the building.

4 – Skirting board covering the corner from direct water ingress.

5 - Backfill made of crushed stone or gravel.

6 - Pit for absorbing used water.

7 - Leaking floor boards.

8 – Asbestos-cement pipes, playing the role of beams and joists.

9 – Compacted clay layer.

Third option

Such a wooden covering is installed without a rough concrete floor at all, directly on a columnar or strip foundation. The space between pillars or awnings can be concreted with a rough solution or covered with clay and compacted.

To drain water in this option, a tray is installed in the middle of the floor of the room, which is connected to the sewer drain by a pipe. The tray is made of boards and installed on the foundation support through a layer of waterproofing.

The plank covering is laid on a slope that goes from the walls to the central floor, to the location drainage tray. The boards are laid tightly to each other, that is, the wooden covering in this case is not leaky.

1, 2 and 3 – bathhouse wall with hydro- and vapor barrier and internal lining.

4 – Wall support beams, which will give the floor the required slope.

5 – compacted or concreted soil surface between the foundation supports.

6 – Water collection tray

7 - The walls of the tray, which, in addition, act as joists in the center of the room.

8 - Non-leakage plank flooring.

Fourth option

This option differs from others in that the drain structure is installed between the white and subfloor, and the wooden flooring is not installed at a slope, but horizontally, but above the funnel-shaped surface located below.

In addition, in this case one drainage system is used for two rooms of the bathhouse - the steam room and the washing room. Since baths in the washing room are used a lot large quantity water than in the steam room, the drainage hole is located precisely under it. For a steam room, a good slope of the underground structure for drainage is sufficient.

Scheme of a “pie” of rough and finished wooden floors in a bathhouse

2 – Leaking floor plank.

3 - Rough wooden floor.

4 - An embankment of gravel or crushed stone. This form can also be made from concrete with insulation additives. If the second option is used, then the logs will have to be securely waterproof.

5 – Thin concrete screed with a waterproofing coating based on liquid rubber or glass.

6 - Drain funnel.

7 - Sewage pipe.

Having looked at the diagrams different designs floor, it is worth dwelling in more detail on the installation of the two options that are most popular among.

Prices for various types of timber

Insulated wooden floor

In a wooden log house, a wooden insulated floor is traditionally installed, without a concrete sub-base. The installation of this structure is quite complicated and begins during the construction of the foundation.

If a floor that does not leak is installed, then it is necessary to install a sewer pipe, and this activity is carried out along with the construction of the foundation.
The subfloor of the bathhouse should be raised above the ground by 400 ÷ 600 mm. To do this, brick columns or walls are installed on which the floor beams will be laid.

After the walls of the structure are erected, they move on to waterproofing the compacted soil and foundation. For this, roofing felt is usually used.
On waterproofed supports are laid wooden beams ceilings Skull blocks are nailed along their lower edge for laying subfloor boards.
Further, the work proceeds according to the presented scheme. The drain pipe runs through all layers of the floor, and most often the hole for it is located in the middle of the steam room.

The next step is to lay the subfloor boards on the cranial beam.

A vapor barrier film is laid on top of the subfloor, on top of which an insulating material is placed, for example, mineral wool mats or polystyrene foam boards.

The insulation is covered on top with a waterproofing material - thick polyethylene film. It is advisable to lay it in a single sheet. If this does not work, then an overlap of at least 200 mm is made between the strips and the seams are sealed with waterproof tape.

Video: the process of installing a subfloor in a bathhouse

Prices for thermal insulation materials

Thermal insulation materials

Next comes the complex process of establishing the desired slope of the boards, directed towards the sewer drain. At this time, the sewer pipe should be raised slightly above the height of the insulation layer. A special sheathing is made around the pipe opening, onto which the ends of the boards will be secured. The thickness of the sheathing boards should be 15-20 mm.
To achieve the desired slope in the form of a funnel, the floor boards along the walls should be slightly raised. To do this, a block with a height of 30 to 50 millimeters is fixed around the perimeter of the room.

There are two more ways to install a slope with drainage not into the pipe hole, but into a drainage groove (gutter), which can be installed either in the middle of the room or along one of the walls.

- In the first case, the boards near the walls are raised on both sides, secured to bars along the walls parallel to the groove, and the slope will go from the walls to the middle of the bathhouse.

— In the second option, the floor is raised only On the one side, and the water flows into a gutter located on the opposite wall.

When the base for fastening the boards is ready, a plank covering is laid on top. The boards must be well prepared and covered with special protective agents that will make the wood resistant to constant exposure to moisture.
In addition, the boards must be fitted very tightly to each other, therefore, for a non-leaking floor, only tongue and groove boards with a tongue-and-groove lock are used. They should be assembled into a single plane without cracks or gaps.

Skirting boards are installed along the walls. The gaps between the sewer drain hole and the boards are hermetically sealed, and a grate is installed on the drain.

Find out, and also consider the best options, from our new article.

Concrete floor in the bathhouse

A floor filled with concrete can be called the best option for a steam room, if it is arranged properly. Its installation also begins when the foundation is being laid, by placing a sewer pipe in the right place, according to the design, through its wall.
Next, the soil under the future floor is compacted, and a cushion of sand is made on it, and then of crushed stone. It is better to immediately give this mound the shape of a wide funnel with a slope towards the center of the room.
The sewer pipe in advance, even before sand-crushed stone backfill is extended to the center of the room, and all other work is carried out taking into account its location.
After this, the surface is stretched waterproofing film, which covers the pipe, leaving only the drain element uncovered.

The next step is to lay hard insulation (EPS is best), which should, as far as possible, follow the shape of a wide funnel, the center of which will be the drain.
It is recommended to cover the top of the insulation with a reinforcing mesh on which the beacons are placed. The concrete screed will be leveled against them. Therefore, if the necessary shape for the direction of flow of water was not created earlier, then it can still be displayed using beacons. However, pouring uneven layers of concrete is a rather difficult task.

The next step is to install a damper tape around the perimeter of the room, which will protect the screed from deformation and destruction during expansion processes under the influence of thermal changes. Next, the prepared site is filled with concrete, which is leveled taking into account the exposed beacons.

You can lay ceramic tiles on the finished frozen screed, or you can cover it with removable wooden gratings.
When using a ceramic coating, the drain grate can be made the center decorative composition floor.

There is another solution that can be called optimal - this is laying tiles on the bath floors, and installing wooden grates on top.

In this case, the ceramic coating will preserve the bathhouse floor for a longer period, and the wooden flooring will make it comfortable for visitors.

Video: laying tiles while creating the required slope to collect water

Prices for the range of floor tiles

Floor tile

Water drainage

It is good if a sewerage system is connected to the site - in this case there will be no problems with the drainage of used water.

One of the options for a drainage well is made from old tires

If there is no central sewerage system, then the water is diverted into a drainage ditch (pit) or you can get by with constructing a drainage well.

It is dug to a depth of 1.3 ÷ 1.5 m deep (with an average level of soil freezing of 0.5 ÷ 0.7 m.
For small bathhouse, which is built only for personal family use, a well with dimensions of 90 × 90 or 100 × 100 cm will be sufficient. If the bathhouse is large or is used very intensively, the well needs to be made more voluminous.
The bottom of the well is filled with crushed stone or expanded clay 40 ÷ 50 cm thick. You can also use other materials that have drainage properties. For example, brick fragments are often used.

Water drainage drainage pipe, should enter the well at a depth of 20 ÷ 30 cm.

Video: an option for organizing the drainage of water from a bathhouse

When installing floors in a bathhouse, you need to treat this process very carefully so as not to miss a single technological stage, since each of them affects the durability of the structure and the ease of everyday use. If you begin to carry out the work, having understood them well, then all these construction activities can be carried out independently.

The floors in the bathhouse are not at all a trifle, as it may initially seem. The methods of their installation differ from the technologies used in residential premises, primarily in that bath floors are part of sewer system. If installed correctly, the bath compartments will be dry, despite the constant humidity in these rooms. And this means the absence of mold, mildew and a long service life of this iconic establishment for all Russians. There are different methods for laying floors in a bathhouse, so you need to choose an acceptable one and adapt it to your construction. It is quite possible to make bath floors yourself, you just need to have general concepts about the principles of their installation and the differences between the schemes.

Laying floors in the washing area

The washing area is perhaps the main room of the bathhouse. This is where visitors spend most of their time between short visits to the steam room.

Water constantly flows in large volumes in the washing compartment, which is why maximum attention must be paid to the arrangement of this bath area.

Especially the laying of floors, since they are the ones most susceptible to moisture and temperature changes; they determine whether the washroom will be comfortable and warm or uncomfortable and cold.

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

The high humidity of this room places special demands on the flooring so that it does not collapse in a fairly short period of time. The floors in the washroom should:
resist thermal changes and prevent drafts;
ensure normal ventilation, free flow of water, and acceptable floor temperature.

Taking these requirements into account, the bathhouse owner must consider all types of floors and choose the most suitable one. Moreover, you need to decide on the materials for the floor even before pouring the screed.

Floor structures for washing

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

Do not use synthetic surfaces. Chemicals have no place where there is high temperature and humidity.

Any flooring has its pros and cons:

Let's look at the most common options for bath floors.

Wooden floor in washroom

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

The advantages of wooden floors include:

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

The disadvantages are the following:

If you stopped at wooden floors, then you should know that depending on the drainage device, they come in two types: leaking and non-leaking structures.

In turn, leaking floors differ in laying scheme:

Let's consider the sequence of work for installing leaking floors.

A hole is dug in the middle of the subfloor.
A trench is broken from its bottom in the direction of the drainage ditch, in which a sewer (waste) pipe is laid with an inclination towards the drainage basin of approximately 3–4° (the approximate difference in height along the entire trench is 5 cm for each linear meter).
The sewer pipe for draining water is laid with a slope towards the water inlet
The foundation of the bathhouse is erected and waterproofed.
After this, along the entire border of the subfloor from the base walls (or pillars), the earth is removed, again with a slope of 10° towards the dug hole.
Then the slopes are covered with crushed stone and compacted well (for greater strength, reinforcing mesh with cells of about 80x80 mm can be laid on top of the crushed stone). Everything is filled with dense concrete mortar, which is leveled and smoothed. To reduce the cost of work, you can use well-mixed clay instead of concrete. It is laid out in a 10-centimeter layer, leveled and, as it dries, moistened with water and smoothed.
Next, the foundation walls, if provided for by the technology, are tied with a metal belt and mounted beam structures, treated with an antiseptic. The lower crown bars are attached to the trim, and if there is none, then to the base walls using anchors or studs).
The floor joists in the bathhouse do not need to be cut into the frame, then they can be easily replaced if necessary
Floor boards with gaps are laid on the floor beams. The thickness of the boards depends on the distance between the joists, but should not be less than 20 mm.
Simple and reliable floors with slots for water drainage are quickly installed and easily replaced with new ones.

Often the boards are not attached to the beam vault, but are connected to each other with timber and the finished panels are simply placed on top. The beam must be located among the floor beams. It is very convenient to take out such shields for drying.

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

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

In the scheme for arranging non-leaking floors, water flows into a specially equipped hole along an inclined plane

It is impossible to disassemble such floors for drying, so it is necessary to provide excellent ventilation so that the wooden floor of a leak-proof structure does not rot prematurely.

This is its disadvantage, but the leak-proof assembly is stronger and more durable and provides the possibility of heating to ensure maximum comfort from water procedures even in severe frosts.

Selection of materials for the drain device

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

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

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

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

Material calculation and tools

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

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

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

building level;
Bulgarian;
bayonet shovel.

Concrete floor in the washing area

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

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

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

Other types of floors in the washing room

Those who honor long-standing bath traditions install an earthen floor in the wash room. The process of laying it is extremely simple - cut off the top layer of soil by approximately 15 cm around the entire perimeter of the room and compact the remaining soil.

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

Previously, bathhouse floors were installed directly on the ground, after first cutting off its top layer and compacting the base

We have already talked about clay floors, but despite all the advantages of clay itself, such a floor has a big drawback - clay does not dry well, and when dry, it forms cracks into which water seeps. As a result, a persistent unpleasant swampy smell appears in the wash room over time.

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

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

Floor covering in the washing room

The floor is ready, it's time to think about protecting it. Everyone knows about antiseptics; you shouldn’t neglect them or skimp on them. Wooden elements are processed before the main work begins, otherwise the wooden flooring can be damaged. The antiseptic does not change the texture of wood, does not contain heavy metals and harmful salts, and perfectly protects wooden components from biological damage.

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

The varnish must be applied to a pre-sanded and well-cleaned surface.

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

Besides this, there is folk remedies for flooring - the use of waste from sunflower oil processing. They are applied with a roller to a thoroughly cleaned and dried surface. Repeat 2-3 times at intervals of three days. This coating is safe, gives the wood a beautiful shade, and is practically free.

If the floor in the bathhouse is concrete, then it needs to be covered with finishing material, since in itself it looks unattractive. The concrete floor is covered with massive floor boards, porcelain stoneware or ceramic slabs, parquet, and cork products.

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

Laying the floor in the steam room

Although the steam room is the heart of the sauna, the floors in it, surprisingly, are the least significant segment of the entire sauna project. The main thing here is the wall partitions and the ceiling. Remember how primitive everything was among our great-grandfathers. They threw plank blocks or chopped logs on the ground and this was enough to take a bath with pleasure even in areas with severe winters. Cold feet? They splashed some hot water and that was it. Nobody complained and my health was excellent.

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

As practice shows, simple circuit arrangement of floors in the bathhouse is the best

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

If the steam room is combined with a washing compartment, then there is no constructive difference, everything is common and identical, the floors in this case are arranged according to the methods described above.

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

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

Much easier with concrete floors- they are done in exactly the same way as in all sections of the bathhouse. A wooden ladder must be laid on top, since a bare, uncovered concrete slab is not very pleasant.

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

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

Of course, wood is beyond competition:

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

Equipment for a concrete floor in a steam room

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

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

Tools for work

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

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

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

Preparation of the solution. You will need a concrete mixer into which the components of the solution are placed - sand, grade 200 or 300 cement and gravel in a ratio of 2:1:3. It makes no sense to use other grades of cement (higher grades), this will only increase the cost of the work. Add water and bring to the required consistency.
Sand, gravel, cement and water are used to prepare the solution.
Adjusting the subfloor. The soil in the steam room is covered with roofing felt, cut into sheets, and gas burner the seams are soldered. It is needed as a waterproofing agent. A 10-centimeter layer of concrete is applied on top of the roofing felt with a construction trowel, after which the entire screed is leveled using a rule. When the solution is completely dry, proceed to the next step.
After pouring is completed, the concrete layer must be leveled using the following rules:
Final alignment. The final leveling of the concrete layer is done literally down to the millimeter. For this, a self-leveling mixture is used. Before laying it, the surface is cleaned of debris and dust, and then primed. The primer is applied with a regular roller.
Applying a self-leveling screed solution. Along the entire length of the steam room, the bottom of the wall is covered with edge tape. This is done so that the screed does not stick to the wall and does not burst in the future. The dry self-leveling mixture is diluted with water in the proportions indicated on the package and mixed with a mixer until smooth. After this, it is poured evenly over the entire surface and leveled with a needle roller to remove air bubbles.
Finishing work. The floor filled with self-leveling screed is left to dry and only then finishing work begins.

Video: pouring screed in a bathhouse with your own hands

Steam room floor covering

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

Not only the wood with which the steam room is sheathed needs protection, but even the concrete floor screed loses its properties over the years.

Plus, untreated, it accumulates dust, which lovers of hot steam breathe.

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

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

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

There are many schemes for arranging floors in washrooms and steam rooms. All of them are accessible and understandable. You can implement them yourself. You can even use several technologies at the same time; this combination will give good drainage and a flat surface. But as practice shows, the technology that is simpler is better. Good luck and have fun. Once a person becomes the owner country house

, he has a completely predictable desire to also have a bathhouse. This structure is very easy to construct with your own hands, and you do not have to spend large financial resources. When building a bathhouse, close attention should be paid to the floor structure - a properly installed covering will ensure the outflow of water, and will not rot or stop functioning ahead of time. In addition, a pleasant appearance will always please the eye.

In order to adequately cope with the task, you need to familiarize yourself with the types of flooring and the specifics of their application.

Peculiarities

The peculiarity of the floor in the bathhouse is that it performs several equivalent functions. Firstly, the coating ensures the safety of movement of a person located at the junction of “two elements”. Secondly, in the steam room area it is responsible for removing excess water. Thirdly, this is an important part of the integral design of the sauna house. It is worth adding that the floor also helps retain heat in the room.

Most often, the floor in a bathhouse is made of wood and concrete. Sometimes brick is used, which is expensive and has a complex installation procedure.

Floor construction

To design a steam room, one of two basic types of flooring is used: leaky and non-leaky. The leaky one is always represented by a wooden structure made of floorboards, which is attached to a supporting joist system. As for the logs, they are mounted at a certain height on support pillars, a lower crown or a concrete screed. To allow water to drain freely, a tiny gap is left between the floor mats.

A leak-proof floor is made of wood or concrete. It is a monolithic covering with a slight slope, at the lower point of which a hole is cut, connected to the sewerage system. Through it, the used water is sent to the drainage hole.

Both varieties demonstrate certain advantages and disadvantages. A leaking floor gets put together pretty quickly, but just as quickly it breaks down. It is worth adding that if it is not insulated, the temperature in the steam room will be problematically low.

The non-leakage layer demonstrates a complex structure, which allows for high-quality waterproofing and thermal insulation. In the event of a breakdown, you will have to completely remove the final layer, while for a leak, it will be enough to remove only part of the floor mats.

Materials

According to experts, it is best to make the base of the floor from concrete, especially if you want to build a permanent building made of brick or stone, with several rooms, which will be used throughout the whole year. The concrete floor must be supplemented with a water drainage system and provided with waterproofing. This design is strong and durable; it is not afraid of water, steam, or temperature changes. Concrete floors can be used for up to 45 years without additional repairs.

However, there are certain disadvantages. Firstly, they are cold, so they have to be insulated with an additional coating, for example, tiled or self-leveling. Secondly, concrete floors require significant investments, both financial and labor. Concrete floors can be poured in three stages.

If you are building a small bathhouse that is used only during the summer season, then it makes sense to choose a wooden floor. It is quickly and easily built from environmentally friendly materials (preferably larch boards), looks very attractive and creates a unique atmosphere in the steam room of an old Russian bathhouse.

Unfortunately, such structures are not durable, because the wood will in any case lose its original characteristics when exposed to water treatment and temperature changes. It follows from this that you should be prepared to re-floor the floor after a certain period of time.

When installing wooden floors, it is recommended to choose coniferous trees– fir, larch, pine and others. Since such wood contains a large number of resin, it will be less susceptible to humidity, and the released essential oils will have a positive effect on the health of those taking water procedures. It is worth adding that coniferous floorboards, when moistened, will not become slippery, which means they will prevent falls.

Wooden structures are divided into leaking and non-leaking. The pouring floor does not have insulation, so it is suitable for bathhouses located in the southern regions, or for options used exclusively in the warm season.

The leak-proof floor is constructed from two layers of boards. The upper one, which will go on top, is preferably constructed from pine or hardwood boards, and the lower, dry one can be equipped with insulation.

The logs are installed on the foundation beam in the case of a columnar foundation, or on the edge in a situation with a strip foundation. The contact points are insulated with roofing felt coated with bitumen, Eurobitumen or a similar waterproofing material.

If the bathhouse stands on screw piles, then a hanging, leak-proof plank floor would be a good option. An additional layer of insulation will help you use the bathhouse at any time of the year.

Wood floors should not be painted or treated with chemical solutions. This is unlikely to add durability, but it will deprive the boards of the ability to breathe and fill the steam room with a unique pine aroma. The most acceptable solution would be to thoroughly sand the boards before starting construction. You can also cover the floor with a heat-resistant water-based varnish that can withstand up to 120 degrees. The elastic coating prevents moisture, steam and dirt from penetrating the boards.

The two-layer composition is applied to the sanded and disinfected coating using a paint brush. The entire procedure is carried out in a ventilated room at a temperature of 5–30 degrees. Only after the varnish has dried after 2-3 hours is it possible to begin laying the floor covering.

Preparatory work

Having decided to create a bathhouse floor with your own hands, you need to start with high-quality preparatory work. The owner must understand the type of soil that is present on his territory. If it is sand, then this is the best option, because in order to create spaces for outgoing wastewater, you only have to fill in gravel 25 cm thick. If there is soil that does not filter well, for example, clay, then you will have to make a tray to move liquid waste outside the bathhouse .

In case of large-scale bath buildings It’s also worth thinking about the support pillars in advance. For each column with a cross-section of 25 cm, a small foundation is prepared or sand is compacted. An asbestos pipe with the required diameter, buried in the ground, will be a good support. The soil is compacted around it, and then cement mortar is poured into the finished formwork. Before installing the logs, the columns are leveled.

Before installing the floor, you also have to remove excess debris, roots, large stones, etc. from the ground. If the inside of the load-bearing blocks is clearly damp, you will have to postpone work until they are partially dry.

Installation

A concrete floor is a regular screed made from a solution of sand, cement and special fillers such as crushed stone, gravel or natural marble chips. Ready-made mixtures are sold in all construction stores in dry form and are completely ready for use. The mixture is diluted plain water, according to step by step guide, mixed with a puncher with a suitable nozzle and used for its intended purpose.

If the screed turns out to be the final covering or light boards will be attached to it, no additional ingredients need to be added to the mixture. If the concrete is to be covered with tiles, then it is recommended to add gypsum and anhydrite to the initial composition. You can do this yourself or purchase suitable option in the shop.

The concrete floor is mounted on logs or directly on the ground. If you follow step by step instructions, then first of all it is necessary to create a system for removing water. It is a structure consisting of a small hole dug in the ground and two pipes. The hole measures 40 x 40 x 30 centimeters, and its walls and bottom are to be covered with concrete. On one side of the hole, a pipe with a cross-section of 20 cm is inserted, which will go into a drainage ditch or into an autonomous septic tank. The second pipe will connect the pit to the bathhouse itself.

It is recommended to equip it with a valve to prevent unpleasant odors from penetrating into the steam room. In addition, it is recommended to make “vents” from asbestos pipes in the base of the bathhouse. They will help eliminate unpleasant “olfactory effects.”

At the second stage, it is necessary to prepare the site on which the screed will be placed. To create a “pit”, the top layer of soil is removed, then sand, broken bricks, gravel and crushed stone are poured into the resulting depression. The layer of the first three components should reach a thickness of 25 cm, and crushed stone - 10. Everything is thoroughly compacted and filled with a mixture of sand and cement, up to 6 centimeters thick.

It is important that the concrete layer slopes towards the prepared hole with pipes.

After the solution has dried, thermal insulation and waterproofing are laid. Mineral wool and polystyrene foam or vapor barrier and felt insulation are used as insulation. Roofing material or ordinary polyethylene film can act as a waterproofing material. The last material is laid under the thermal insulation and on top of it. At the next stage, a metal grid is installed for high-quality reinforcement.

Finally, the main screed is poured from the far corner towards the exit of the steam room. You immediately need to level the mortar with a trowel and, if necessary, correct any flaws, which will require the help of another person. The floor will dry for 2-3 days, and then boards or tiles can be installed on top. The finishing is also laid at an angle of 2 cm in the direction of the drain. If concrete is chosen for the final floor, then it needs to be processed: leveled and sanded. Drain holes should be covered with wooden grates for comfort and aesthetic appeal.

Concrete floors are quite cold, so it is also recommended to prepare special wooden grates for people to walk on. These grates are dried after each visit to the bathhouse. The same designs are used in the presence of ceramic tiles. They help limit sliding on the floor and excessive heating of the tiles.

The floor in a wooden bathhouse is created in two different ways. The first allows you to make a leaky coating, and the second - a non-leaking one. In the first case, suitable for beginners, a flooring of planks is installed at intervals of approximately 3 mm to drain liquids. Through them, water moves directly into the drainage hole. The main trump card is the fact that such a floor can be removed and dried, which means that it will not rot and can be used for a longer time.

The plot of land is leveled and sprinkled with gravel. Next, a clay surface with a pit is usually formed. If the choice is given to a cement screed, then it is necessary to provide it with waterproofing. Wooden logs, which must be pre-treated, are mounted on supports at intervals of 50 cm - this way air can easily blow through the structure from all sides. Then the flooring is laid, leaving 2-3 mm gaps between the walls, floor and boards. The slope for water drainage is arranged under wooden flooring, what gravel is used for. The descending water will be directed into the filter well.

This design can last up to 6 years if the coating is dried periodically. It is recommended to collect it from larch or conifers, but in no case from oaks, which are very slippery when wet. The boards should be 4–5 cm thick. Typically, leaking floors are used in dachas, where the owners come periodically during the summer season.

The second type of wooden floors is non-leakage with a drain, which is chosen by the owners of year-round heated bathhouses. The floor is placed on a concrete screed with a slope, which is formed so that the water drains smoothly and is directed into a sump adapted for this purpose. These coatings can last up to 12 years, thanks to the presence of rough and thermal insulation layers.

First of all, a hole with pipes is made according to the algorithm given for concrete floors. Then the site is prepared and, if desired, a concrete screed is poured. The floor base is covered with roofing felt for waterproofing and foam with expanded clay for insulation.

The logs are mounted on solid bedside tables, which are cut out of reinforced concrete and decorated with brick or concrete stands, at intervals of 50 centimeters. Then the intermediate base is installed. The height at which the logs are planned is determined depending on the height of the embedded beam (with columnar foundation) or concrete “ribbons” (with a strip foundation). The logs are placed in parallel with the narrow side of the steam room away from the walls of the bathhouse - it is recommended to consider a gap of 3-4 cm. Notches should also be made on the logs to achieve an inclined surface.

A water collector measuring 40 x 40 cm and 30 cm deep is placed between the supports and compacted with concrete mortar or clay. At a height of 2 cm from the bottom, a pipe is mounted at an angle so that the liquid easily falls into the cesspool.

The “bottom” floor, made of low-grade planks, fixed at the bottom of the beams, is covered with another layer of insulation and roofing felt, as well as a vapor barrier, which will protect all previous levels from liquids. After this, a finishing layer of tongue-and-groove boards is installed with a slope of 10 degrees. The mounting groove must fit inside the structure. The slope occurs due to the fact that the cutting in the log on the side that is directed to the waste collection point increases.

It is important that the boards adjoin closely, and the covering is attached to the joists with screws and nails at 45 degrees. The boards are chosen to be 3–5 cm thick. The foundation for the stove-heater is installed after installing the logs, but before laying the flooring.

Upon completion of all this work, the room is dried, the boards are finally nailed, and the floor itself is supplemented with baseboards. The baseboard should be mounted so that flowing moisture does not end up under the slats. This means that there should be no gaps, and the sheathing should lie on the baseboard itself.

Warm floor

A warm floor in a bathhouse allows you not only to achieve an optimal microclimate in the room, but also to dry it efficiently. Thus, the service life of the finish is extended and lower floors. The heated floor system is actually expensive, but it creates additional comfort for its owners.

To construct a heated system in a bathhouse, you can use two methods: water pipes or electric cable. The first option is quite complicated in terms of installation. Water pipes are heavy, especially under water pressure. This means that you will have to provide enhanced reinforcement of the floor screed. It represents a closed pipeline system, through which, thanks to the operation of the pump, the coolant liquid moves. Usually this is water, but antifreeze, ethylene glycol and other varieties are also allowed. To set up such a system, you will need a boiler, a pump, plastic or copper pipes, and fittings.

The design is complex, so it will be difficult to identify the cause of the leak, especially if there is a concrete screed. And in case of serious damage, the entire system will have to be replaced. The disadvantages of a water floor in a steam room also include:

installation complexity - many bends, it is difficult to maintain the required gaps between pipes;
using a water pump is a huge waste of energy resources;
difficult temperature control.

There are two ways to lay a water floor: concrete and flooring. The first is similar to laying electronic cables, but differs in greater thickness. The pipe laying pitch reaches 40 cm. There should be no sharp bends or kinks that interfere with the circulation of the coolant. The second is carried out on a special base made of wood or polystyrene foam. In addition, heated floors can also be installed on a wooden surface.

To install water-heated floors, tubes made of metal-plastic, polyethylene or steel are most often used. Their installation is carried out using two methods: “snake” or “snail”. The first method is available only to professionals, as it is considered very labor-intensive. Its main disadvantage is that the floor surface experiences different temperature conditions. They are usually the highest at the entrance, and the further you go, the colder it gets. The fact is that water is supplied on one side and leaves on the other. The second installation method allows the heat to be distributed equally throughout the entire floor.

To design the electrical system, factory-made “cable floors”, infrared film models or infrared rod mats are used. Very often there are concerns about the safety of using an electric heated floor in a steam room or washing room. The owners are worried that due to a breakdown there will be a risk of electric shock. However, this option is impossible, because the possibility of liquid appearing in the system tends to zero. The structure warms up under the influence of high temperatures and dry air, and even if it breaks, moisture simply will not have time to get inside.

Electrical cables are quite simple and easy to install in every way. They are sold as ready-made “submarines”, which can only be placed on the floor surface and filled with concrete. The cable must be laid on a mesh base. This system does not have any special problems with repair and installation. In addition, it is equipped with temperature sensors.

Infrared electric underfloor heating is called the most affordable and easiest way to provide auxiliary heating. Thermal film, sold in rolls, is rolled out onto the coating, and strips with heating elements are glued to the base with primitive adhesive tape. There is no need for a cement screed or additional waterproofing and thermal insulation.

Tile adhesive is immediately poured over the film and tiles are installed, usually made of porcelain stoneware or clinker. The floor covering can be placed directly on the warm layer, but craftsmen still prefer to leave an insulating-leveling layer between the film and the floor cladding.

Infrared floors are completely sealed and electrically safe and can even be used on floors with wooden components. The maximum heating temperature is 45 degrees and is very comfortable for visitors.

Elements of rod infrared heated floors are also called mats. Heating elements they contain rods that are connected to power wires. The rod “joints” are made in parallel, so the failure of one rod will not disrupt the operation of the entire system, which is very thoughtful. The core floor is mounted in tile adhesive or cement screed.

Conventional heated floors are placed on thermal insulation, then leveled with a screed, on top of which the final coating is placed. Professionals also recommend not skimping on waterproofing, which can prevent condensation from occurring during the work process. Simple polyethylene film is used as waterproofing, and mineral wool, expanded clay, expanded polystyrene and penofol are used as insulation.

Do not forget that when choosing a heated floor, it is extremely important to correctly approach the purchase of the final floor covering. If this happens tile, which heats up quickly, you will have to put wooden grates on top.

Design

There are a huge number of options for finishing bath rooms: steam rooms, washing rooms, relaxation rooms. However, the design of the flooring is not particularly original - as a rule, it is laconic and functional, and other decorative elements are responsible for the aesthetic component. Usually the choice depends on personal preferences and financial capabilities. The main criteria are still the use of natural materials, minimalism and convenience.

The following materials are suitable for the floor:

tree– looks natural, creates the right atmosphere, is accessible and environmentally friendly;
concrete– durable, but aesthetically unattractive, and the problem of cold is also acute;

tile- a bunch of color solutions, it is possible to choose non-slip models;
porcelain stoneware- looks aesthetically pleasing, but slippery, so if used, it is better for a rest room, matte or polished.

Traditional finishing of a steam room involves the use of hardwood paneling as a wall covering. Such walls quickly warm up, but their temperature is considered comfortable for accidental touches. Under no circumstances should you use pine clapboard to decorate a steam room, as this base, when heated, produces toxic substances. For the ceiling, linden lining of class A or B is suitable. If there is a desire to decorate a traditional Russian bathhouse, then a linden slab with bast will become the best option finishing.

The floor in the steam room can be made of wood or concrete, and a block of tiles can be placed near the stove. If you decide to cover the entire surface with tiles, you will have to take care of wooden grates that will not heat up.

Most often preference is given wooden coverings. The interior should be lively, natural and without the presence of synthetic materials.

If preference is given to a steam room - sauna, then you can use a variety of design solutions. For example, combine lining with stone, and brick with granite slabs and a block house. However, exclusively wooden coverings are again recommended for the floor.

For the washing room, as a rule, combinations of wood and ceramic tiles are chosen. For example, it could be coniferous wood, which has high water-repellent characteristics and an attractive appearance.

The tile should be anti-slip and maintain a comfortable temperature. Otherwise, a special mat is required.

In the vestibule or rest room, aesthetic combinations of porcelain stoneware, natural stone, wallpaper and plaster are used. Design is carried out through a harmonious combination of furniture, accessories and finishing materials. There are no special requirements, the only thing is that the relaxation room should set you in the right mood and allow you to spend time comfortably.

So that the process of installing the floor in the bathhouse goes “without a hitch”, Experts recommend following a number of instructions.

For insulation, you should choose materials that are least responsive to elevated temperatures and humidity. That is, it is better to simultaneously organize not only heat, but also hydro and vapor barrier.
The bars should be laid correctly so that the liquid can flow down along the joint line.
If there is a possibility that the space under the floor will fill with moisture, it is necessary to create a gap from the internal backfill on top of the soil to wooden base. Its size reaches 15 centimeters.
Fiberglass underlays on the waterproofing floor will make movement on the floor inaudible. They are produced in the form of a thick tape, which is extremely convenient.

Wooden materials must be treated with an antiseptic. It is advisable to use a composition that can destroy all microorganisms and prevent damage to boards and beams. In addition, all wooden parts are pre-dried or purchased already in this form. If this is not done, the material will curl during use, cracks will appear and the shelf life of the floor will be significantly reduced.
If it is necessary to install ventilation, it is important to organize its correct output. Typically, a separate pipe follows the path along the wall into the attic. If the foundation is monolithic, then it is recommended to make holes that will connect the ventilation gaps with the air outside.
If the steam room area is large, then one drain will not cope with all the water. It will be necessary to think about several so that the material does not rot too quickly.
Dry floors not only eliminate moisture, but also lead to heat loss. In this situation, it is necessary to insulate the foundation and base of the log house, and place the sauna stove below the floor level.

The floor in the steam room rises relative to ground level. And in a separate washing room, on the contrary, it should be lower than in other rooms.
It is necessary to leave a ventilation gap under the floor. It can be installed at a height of 10–15 cm.
It is worth installing the finished floor so that there is an angle of inclination in the direction that is directed along the length of the boards, and not in width. This will help extend the service life of the products, since the direction of water is also one of the reasons in the rotting process.

To prevent the board from bursting when screwing in the screw, you need to work at an angle of 45 degrees.
Under no circumstances should you use linoleum, laminate or other synthetic coverings in bathhouses, even in the rest room. In any case, such materials will begin to heat up and release substances that can poison the body. In the dressing room, such a covering should be placed on top of a special flooring that allows the floors to dry.
The selected boards must be edged or tongue-and-groove. Their thickness varies from 25 to 30 mm.

Beautiful examples

A high-quality concrete screed on the floor will go perfectly with wooden walls and the ceiling. The materials for the latter can be boards and lining, forming an original combination. A large window, a laconic stove and simple wooden shelves will ideally complement the interior.

The tiled platform under the heater can become bright accent steam room and, echoing the washing room, combine two interiors into one. You can add brutality to the room if you replace it with natural or artificial natural stone. He, in turn, will require inserts on the walls of the steam room itself.