Concrete floors in a wooden bath. Do-it-yourself concrete floor screed in the bath: a step-by-step guide

Very often hosts country house decide to build a bath. In order for this building to be reliable, comfortable and warm, it is necessary to carefully consider all the structures, the water supply, sewerage and heating system. Most often, the floors in the bath are made on a soil base. In order for such a floor to fulfill its functions and be comfortable, it must be built in accordance with all the rules, taking into account the characteristics of the room and the foundation. Usually a concrete floor is made on a soil base.

Why concrete floor?

In principle, two types of floors are used for a bath building: wooden and concrete. However, concrete floors are more suitable for installation on the ground. Judge for yourself, any wooden structure, even made of moisture-resistant larch wood, in any case will be subject to constant moisture. Even if a special antiseptic impregnation protects the material from rot and decay, the wood will still absorb moisture, which will lead to a persistent and unpleasant smell in the room. In addition, it is better to lay the logs not on the ground, but to fasten them at a short distance from it to the plinth strapping.

A concrete floor is the best option, since such structures have a lot of advantages:

strength and reliability;
if the floor was filled in accordance with all the rules, then the structure will last a very long time;
a heating system can be laid in the concrete floor layer;
the design has good moisture resistance;
the versatility of the concrete base allows you to lay any floor covering in the bath, suitable for the operating conditions, for example, porcelain stoneware or tile, wooden flooring made of moisture-resistant larch or oak.

The only disadvantage of a concrete floor on the ground is that it is very cold, but this is easy to deal with. It is enough to make high-quality floor insulation. There are many different options and materials for it. For example, insulation can be made with polystyrene foam. In addition, the underfloor heating system will perfectly cope with the problem of a cold surface.

How to divert water?

Features of the processes taking place in the bath require the installation of a well-thought-out drainage system in the floor. To do this, it is necessary to provide a drainage system and an appropriate slope of the floor surface. There are several schemes for the water drainage device:

The first scheme is suitable for foundations made of light sandy soils. They absorb moisture well. In this case, an absorbing pit is arranged. It is dug under the part of the bath where the washing room will be located. From it, water will be collected in a pipe and discharged into a pit. Pit dimensions: sides and depth of 50-100 cm. Crushed stone, broken brick, sand are laid in the pit. For ventilation, through vents are left in the basement.
If the filling of the floor in the bath will be carried out on dense or clayey soils, then it is better to take the pit outside the building. In such a situation, a small pit is arranged under the washing room, where water will enter and flow through the pipeline system into a pit, septic tank or gutter. To protect the premises from unpleasant odors, it will be necessary to arrange a water seal.
However, the first and second schemes imply the installation of a slatted wooden floor on a slight elevation from the concrete base. If you want to make the floor directly on the ground and lay tiles as the front layer, then pipes must be installed directly into the screed. In this case, the drain system should be thought out in advance. This drainage method is considered universal.

How to make a floor?

Pouring a concrete floor in a bath is possible when constructing a structure on a solid strip foundation. Warming of such a floor can be made with polystyrene foam or other heat-insulating material. However, expanded polystyrene is considered the most effective tool for rooms with wet processes.

The work is carried out in several stages. Preparatory stage includes such activities:

First, the top layer of soil is selected between the walls of the strip foundation. Usually it is enough to go deep by 40-50 cm.
After that, backfilling with gravel is carried out. The layer height is 15 cm. The gravel pad is carefully compacted. It is at this stage that you can begin to make a slight slope of the bath floor towards the drainage pipe. This will make it much easier in the future to perform the desired slope of the floor.

The device for insulation with polystyrene foam depends on the number of layers of concrete. So, you can make one layer of concrete screed or make a multilayer structure with a layer of insulation between them.

Single layer concrete screed

In this case, after backfilling with gravel, a sand cushion 3-5 cm high is arranged and rammed. After that, the work is carried out in the following order:

A waterproofing material is laid on a layer of sand. It is better to use roofing material for these purposes. The overlap of adjacent strips should be 10 cm. All joints are smeared with bituminous mastic. The rolled waterproofing material is laid with an approach to the wall to a height 2 cm higher than the height of the screed.

Attention: to increase the effectiveness of waterproofing, you can lay the roofing material in two layers. In this case, the direction of laying the strips in the layers should be mutually perpendicular.

Now it's the turn to make insulation with polystyrene foam. However, instead of this material, you can use slag, expanded clay, building felt, hard mineral wool boards. The thickness of the thermal insulation layer depends on the efficiency of the material and the climatic conditions of the construction region. Usually the layer height is 30-50 cm. If the insulation is made with polystyrene foam, then the layer thickness can be reduced to 150-200 mm due to the high efficiency of the material.
Heaters with low moisture resistance, for example, mineral wool, are covered on top with another layer of waterproofing material. For these purposes, use a polyethylene film. The material is laid with an overlap of strips of 15-20 cm, and the joints are glued with adhesive tape.
Now you need to reinforce the floor. For these purposes, sometimes a reinforcing mesh made of a bar with a diameter of 5 mm with a cell size of 150x150 mm is used. But since metal is susceptible to corrosion in wet conditions, it is better to use polypropylene or fiberglass mesh.

Attention: if you use a metal mesh, mortar heaps are laid under it before pouring concrete. So after pouring the concrete, the reinforcement will be hidden in the thickness of the concrete, which will reliably protect it from corrosion. The concrete cover must be at least 2 cm thick on each side.

After laying the reinforcing mesh, beacons are placed on the floor, along which the screed will be leveled. When installing beacons, do not forget to provide for a floor slope towards the drain hole. It is better to do it in the corner of the room, and not in the center. This will make the configuration of the floor surface easier, making it easier to fill.
Now you need to make a screed. The mortar is prepared from cement grade 400. The ratio of cement and sand is 1 to 3. Although, instead of the traditional cement-sand mortar, ready-made dry mixes suitable for laying in rooms with high humidity can be used. They are easier to fit due to better plasticity, quickly harden, and can be additionally reinforced with fiberglass.

It is important to know: minimum thickness screeds must be at least 3 cm.

After laying the screed, if necessary, you can perform a final alignment using self-levelling compounds. After that, the floor surface is ready for laying. ceramic tiles. Also, instead of tiles, you can use wooden gratings made of moisture-resistant wood. If necessary, they can be taken out and dried outside.

Double layer concrete screed

After the installation of a sand and gravel cushion, work is carried out in the following sequence:

First you need to fill the first layer with a concrete solution with the inclusion of coarse gravel in it. The laying of the rough screed is carried out along the beacons, taking into account the slope of the floor towards the drain.
After the complete hardening of the draft concrete layer, you can start laying waterproofing. This procedure is performed in the same way as described in the first method.
Now you need to make the floor insulation in the bath. For these purposes, you can use polystyrene foam boards, perlite sand or other materials.
After insulation, a second layer of screed with reinforcement is performed. Cement-sand mortar is prepared in the same way as described in the previous version. For reinforcement, you can use fiberglass or propylene mesh, microfiber. The screed is laid along the beacons, taking into account the slope of the floor towards the water flow. You can also use self-leveling dry mixes with additional fiber reinforcement. When choosing a mixture, consider the characteristics of the room with wet processes.
After complete drying of the cement-sand screed, the surface is ready for laying the selected floor covering.

If you deal with the task of how to make a concrete floor in a bath, it is easy to get at your disposal a durable coating that will be washed without problems, characterized by unique strength and fire safety, and also never rot.

When the area of your suburban area allows you to build your own bathhouse on it, you don’t even need to think about the feasibility of such a building. In it you will take water procedures, relax after working days, get rid of any kind of emotional and physiological negativity, spend fun hours with friends and girlfriends.

In order for you to use your home bath for a long time, you need to think through a lot of details. The most important of them is the task of arranging high-quality, functional and reliable floors. Many people make them with their own hands from wood. This approach is quite reasonable, especially if the floor base is made of deciduous trees, which are not very afraid of prolonged contact with water.

But wood and water, no matter what, always remain antagonists. Wood floors will always absorb moisture. This will cause them to quickly collapse. You can treat wood with special compounds, impregnate it with special compounds against rodents and microorganisms, but this will not fundamentally change the situation. Therefore, the device of the concrete floor in the bath is becoming popular. It is easy to carry out such a procedure.

The device of the concrete floor in the bath

If you do everything right, such a coating will last you 5-10 times longer than a wooden base.

Some people say that concrete floors are very cold. It's right. But now there are many inexpensive ways to make a warm floor from concrete. You can use the most modern insulating materials that perfectly insulate concrete base. In addition, it is easy to mount a heating system in it with your own hands. You can turn it on when you need to warm it up. flooring.

It is worth adding that concrete floors on the ground are classified as universal coatings. Such a base is allowed to be operated without additional finishing work. And if you wish, it is quite possible to ennoble it by constructing a removable or permanent wood flooring over the concrete floor, finishing with durable porcelain stoneware or elegant and reliable.

There is always water in the bath, and in large quantities. Therefore, it is necessary to think over a system that will effectively divert it. Water is removed by arranging drainage and providing a certain slope of the floor base.

If the soil in the area where the bathhouse is being built is clayey, you need to dig a small ditch under the foundation of the building, lay pipes in it and bring the latter into the gutter. It is advisable to overlay the walls of the moat with tiles or concrete, and cover the ditch from above with a metal grate. Be sure to install a special gate at the end of the last pipe designed to drain water. Then unpleasant odors will not be felt in your bath.

Removal of the bath pipe into the gutter

When the soil under the building absorbs water well (for example, sandy soil), it is necessary to dig a special drainage hole under the bathhouse. Its dimensions are 0.5x0.5–1x1 m, and the depth is 0.7–1 m. The pit must be covered with building sand, broken stone or brick, and large-sized crushed stone. At the same time, backfilling is carried out so that it does not interfere with the water flowing calmly into the drainage structure.

In the basement of the pit, make several vents (they are called vents) that will ensure the through passage of air masses. In fact, you will make the simplest ventilation system. She, believe me, will do a good job with the task that is assigned to ventilation. But it is better to dig a drainage hole away from the bath. Then you need to conduct a pipeline to it according to the scheme described above.

Note. The sounded options for arranging a pit for draining and collecting water are used in situations where the concrete floor base rises above the soil. If you plan to pour the floor directly onto the ground, sewer pipes should be immediately embedded in a concrete screed.

If you place a building for the adoption of water procedures on a strip foundation (it is made solid), the floor is poured according to the following scheme:

In the space between the tape base, you remove about 0.5 m of soil.
Fill the resulting hole with a 15-centimeter layer of gravel, ram. At the same time, you immediately need to make a slight slope to the side, a pipe will be mounted there to drain water.
Fill up the pit (layer up to 30 cm), ram, lay roofing material on top. It will act as a waterproofing agent. The roofing material must be placed with sheets overlapping each other by 10 centimeters. Spread the joints between individual products with bitumen-based mastic. With the same composition, process the areas where the roofing material enters the basement of the building.
Now, if you want to make a warm floor on the ground, be sure to lay boiler slag or other thermal insulation material (tar-treated felt, expanded clay, polystyrene foam or mineral wool boards) on the waterproofing layer. Mount the heat insulator so that it goes up on the walls. Then, at the points of contact between the walls and the floor, cold bridges will not form.

After that, mount a mesh of metal reinforcement with a cross section of 5 mm. It is placed on a heat-insulating layer. Then install guides and beacons with your own hands, which allow you to quickly and correctly pour the concrete mixture onto the floor along the ground. Be sure to decide where you will place the drain hole. It is better if it is located in any of the corners of the bath.

flooding concrete mix on the floor on the ground

Now the screed can be performed. Its thickness to obtain a flat floor base should be 3–6 cm. The concrete screed is made from sand (3 parts) and M400 cement (1 part). A mixture of these materials (they should be mixed) must be filled with water. As a result, you will get a solution that is easy to work with. It should pour well, but not have an overly liquid consistency.

In general, now the screed is more often performed using ready-made store compositions. You need to purchase a mixture designed for rooms with high humidity. Then all the work on installing the floor with your own hands will become much easier. You need to dilute the finished mixture with water according to the manufacturer's instructions and pour the base with the resulting solution. As easy as pie!

Store compositions, by the way, are characterized by higher ductility than home-made concrete mixtures; in addition, they completely exclude the possibility of voids in the screed. And ready-to-use compositions freeze much faster.

Often, home craftsmen decide to fill the floor in two layers. In this case, experts advise using perlite sand as a heater (it is called expanded sand). Such material provides the bath owner with a very warm floor. The scheme of work on the arrangement of a two-layer base is given below. You need:

Fill the gravel-sand cushion with a standard concrete mixture, to which a little coarse gravel is added. The first layer is poured over the beacons, it is called draft.
Make waterproofing over the rough layer.
Lay a heat insulator - expanded sand.

This insulation is an excellent protector of the floor base in the bath from the cold, as it has truly unique heat-insulating characteristics. But it's hard to work with him. Expanded sand is very light. Even the most little impulse the wind blows it around. Therefore, such sand must be mixed with other screed components indoors.

mix 10 liters of water and 20 liters of sand in a concrete mixer;
turn on the unit;
add 5 liters of cement;
mix the composition until it is completely homogeneous;
pour more water (a liter - one and a half) and add about 10 liters of expanded sand, start the concrete mixer, it should work until the composition becomes free-flowing.

Mixing concrete heat insulator

After that, wait 10-15 minutes and start the unit again. Do not turn off the concrete mixer until the mixture is converted into a plastic composition.

Next, pour the resulting solution onto the waterproofing layer, level it and leave for 7 days. After a week, lay the reinforcing mesh, fill in the second layer of the screed, wait for it to solidify. This completed the work. You can start finishing the concrete surface.

Important advice for home masters! Always start pouring the floor with concrete mixture from the corner of the room, which is at the maximum distance from the entrance. Moreover, all excess solution should be moved in the same direction.

When building a bath, everyone is faced with a large number of issues, among which the choice of material for the floor is far from the last. The first thing that comes to mind for many is a tree. But there is another option - a concrete floor screed. Such a floor will cost more, but it has a number of undeniable advantages.

Concrete floor screed: advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of concrete screed:

strength. According to this indicator, it is significantly superior to other materials used to install the floor in the bath;
durability. Concrete screed will serve you for many years;
moisture resistance. At first, under the influence of water, concrete becomes only stronger, then it has an insignificant effect on it. In this case, the tree is destroyed under the influence of moisture;
hygiene. Concrete is a material that is not subject to the appearance of mold, fungus, insects do not start in it;
does not require drying. Wooden floors must be dried after bath procedures; a concrete screed does not need this.

Cons of concrete screed:

great weight. Concrete is a heavy material, so a strong foundation is needed under it;
long curing time. It takes about 1-1.5 months for the moisture to dry completely;
shrinkage. Its duration depends on the amount of water in the solution;
price. The construction of a concrete floor will cost more than the installation of a wooden coating, but if you take into account the expiration date, then the overpayment is justified.

IN currently concrete floors are considered the best option. They are significantly superior to other types in terms of strength, and also have a huge service life and withstand high loads.

How to prepare a concrete solution?

A simple option is to buy ready-made dry mix. If you decide to cook it yourself, then you will need cement, water and sand. For mortar, cement M-400 or higher must be used. For 4 servings of sand, you need 1 serving of cement and water. The solution should not be liquid, because in this case, in the future, the concrete will not be strong enough.

Instead of ordinary sand, you can use perlite. It has high thermal insulating properties. The disadvantage of the material is its low weight, due to which the sand is very dusty, so it is impossible to work in windy conditions.

To prepare the solution you need to do the following:

Pour 2 buckets of perlite or sand and 10 liters of water.
Add 5 liters of cement.
Stir, add another 5 liters of water. Stir until the mixture is homogeneous.
Add 1 bucket of perlite and 2 liters of water. Mix.
Leave the mixture for 10 minutes to make it more plastic.

When the solution is ready, you can proceed to the main work.

Do-it-yourself concrete floor screed: stages

The floor screed in the bath is done mainly in the steam room and the washing room, that is, in those rooms where there are quite extreme conditions (high temperature, humidity), therefore, in these rooms it is necessary to think over the drainage system.

The complexity of the concrete screed is that it must be at a slight slope. This is necessary in order to make a drain in the bath. When sloped, water will drain directly into the sewer, and the floors will dry faster.

Step 1. Preparatory work

First you need to evaluate the coverage under the bath. If it is sandy or covered with loose earth, then you can dig a drainage system right under the future room. The pit needs to be made about 0.5-1 m deep, with approximately the same length and width. In this case, it is important to carefully consider the ventilation system in order to prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors. To do this, you need to leave air in the basement with the possibility of a through air flow.

If the earth is clayey or dense, then it is necessary to make a small pit, and from it to conduct a water pipe, which will pass under the foundation and discharge water into the gutter, which is outside the foundation. At the end of the pipeline, a shutter will need to be made to protect the bath from unpleasant odors. The depth, width and length of the pit can be about 0.3-0.5 m, and a pipe for draining water will enter one of its walls. Air vents should also be left around the pit for ventilation.

The above options are relevant if the floor is raised above the ground. If you plan to pour a concrete screed onto the ground, then you need to consider a drain system before starting work, because in the process it will be necessary to install a pipe into the screed.

After the drainage pit is ready, you can proceed to the installation of the base of the future floor.

Step 2. Installation of a concrete floor in a bath

There is no single answer to the question of how to make a concrete screed. The process of work is affected not only by the soil, but also by the type of foundation used.

The device of a concrete floor in a bath on a strip foundation

1. On the territory of the future bath, between the strip foundation, you need to remove the top layer of the earth, making a hole about 0.4-0.5 m deep.
2. Fill the ground with gravel with a layer of 15 cm, compact it. You can already at this stage make a slight slope for draining.
1. Lay a layer of sand 30-50 cm, compact.
2. Lay a layer of roofing felt to waterproof the floor. Separate sheets should overlap by about 10 cm. Two layers of roofing material can be laid.
1. Make a layer of thermal insulation. To do this, you can use different materials: slag, expanded clay, felt, mineral wool, etc. Regardless of which option you choose, make sure that the material goes beyond the floor to the walls - this will help avoid drafts and cold air penetration . If you settled on mineral wool, then you will need to make a layer of waterproofing: cover it with plastic wrap.
1. Lay reinforcing mesh for structural strength.
1. Install a system of beacons and guides to ensure even coverage. Do not forget about a slight slope for draining.
2. Prepare concrete solution, pour the floor. The minimum thickness of the screed is 30 cm. It is best to pour the screed from the corner farthest from the entrance, moving excess material towards the entrance. It is important to consider that the process of pouring the floor must be continuous, that is, as soon as you have laid one layer, the second must be started immediately. The concrete mixture will dry for about 5-7 days. If possible, it is better to wait about two weeks. During the drying process, the screed must be moistened - this will help to avoid the formation of cracks.

The above lists the work in the event that you will make a concrete screed in one layer. If you plan two layers, then the order of work changes. In particular, the first layer of screed must be done after step 3, before the hydro- and thermal insulation of the floor. Only after the concrete has completely dried can you proceed to the next step.

Continue the steps for hydro and thermal insulation, then reinforce the floor and fill it with a second layer of concrete screed.

The device of a concrete floor in a bath on a columnar, pile foundation

During construction, the procedure is different:

Install logs in increments of 0.5-0.55 m (the size depends on the insulation, it is important that the mats fit snugly into the space between them). For logs, it is recommended to use a beam with a section of 100x200 mm.

If you are building a large bath, then long logs can be further strengthened: install logs on brick support pillars.

Under the lags, you need to attach the bars 150x50 mm so that you get a design similar to shelves.

On the resulting protrusions of the bars, you need to mount the subfloor. For him, boards about 3 cm wide are suitable, they need to be treated with a special antiseptic.
Prepare pipes for water drainage.

Lay a layer of waterproofing.
Place a heater between the lags, cover it with a waterproofing film.
Lay reinforcing mesh.
Prepare the beacons and pour the floor with a concrete screed with a slope towards the pipes.

When installing a concrete screed in a bath, keep in mind that you need to calculate the level of the floor in advance: it is important that all of the above layers should not be higher than the crown crown, otherwise there may be a problem that the walls will be damp.

Installation of beacons for floor screed

If you want to get a perfectly even coating, then you need to use floor screed beacons. As beacons, profile guides, metal pipes, wooden blocks, “slides” of mortar and self-tapping screws can be used.

First you need to determine the thickness of the screed. To do this, you need to find the highest point of the base, then add the minimum allowable thickness of the screed to it, and then determine the line where the future floor will pass. It is best to work with a laser level, you can also use a bubble level.

The installation of beacons under the screed should start from the long sides of the room, the first beacons must be installed at a distance of 20-30 cm parallel to each other. Next, you need to set intermediate beacons at a distance of 10-20 cm, also parallel to each other.

There are two options for how to set beacons for floor screed:

for cement mortar;
for self-tapping screws.

In the first case, before installing floor beacons, it is necessary to prepare a thick cement-sand mortar: mix cement and clean sand in a ratio of 1: 3, dilute the mixture with water to get a stable and plastic consistency.

Next, you need to put the solution in slides, on which the beacons themselves will rely. To adjust their position, the beacons for pouring the floor can be pressed into the mixture, to install them as evenly as possible, use the building level.

In the second case, pin beacons must be screwed into the floor, setting them in level. Next, you need to put a drywall profile on the screws.

Lighthouses for floor screed (photo):

After the work is completed, the floor is poured over the lighthouses.

Step 3. Finishing the concrete floor in the bath

Finishing is optional. There is a simple and budget option: put wooden flooring on the floor. The advantage of this option is not only cheapness, but also convenience. After visiting the bath, it is enough to remove the flooring and dry it, and then return it to its place. If suddenly the tree began to deteriorate, then you can simply change the pallet for a new one.

A popular material is lining. It has many advantages: attractive appearance, treated surface that protects against splinters, affordable cost, long service life, it is easy to install it yourself.

For the floor in the steam room, you can use lining of hardwood trees: alder, larch, aspen, linden, etc. Coniferous trees should be discarded, because under the influence of high temperatures they can release resin, and if you stand on it with bare feet , you may get burned.

TO finishing materials in the washing room, the requirements are not as strict as in the steam room. There are no extreme high temperatures, but the humidity level is much higher. In addition, if you do not put a closed shower in the sink, then all the water will pour directly onto the floor.

Lining is also suitable for finishing the floor in the washing room, and tiles are also a popular option. It has a natural composition, is not at all afraid of moisture and will be an excellent decoration of the room. But avoid using smooth and glossy tiles, as they are slippery. Pay attention to matte and rough surfaces. If the tile still slips, then lay a rubber mat on the floor or place wooden pallets.

The floor in the bath has many important differences from the floors in various other rooms. First of all, the bath floor must be completely safe for movement in conditions of constantly high humidity and temperature.

In addition, the floor at the same time performs the functions of an element of the sewer system - subject to proper arrangement, the design will ensure full drainage of water. Thanks to this, the floor will remain intact and reliable much longer.

Traditionally, wood and concrete are used to make a bath floor. Check out the features of each option and choose the one that suits you. With the arrangement of any kind of design, you can handle it yourself.

Before starting work, select the appropriate material for arranging the floor, as well as decide on the preferred type of construction.

Production material

As already noted, in bath houses the floors are made of wooden elements or concrete.

It will take more time, effort and money to equip a concrete floor, but such a design will last much longer compared to its wooden counterpart.

The construction of a floor from lumber requires minimal time, labor and money, but after 5-10 years of operation, the elements of such a structure will have to be changed.

Wood floors are divided into leaky and non-leaking varieties.

Leaking floor

The most budgetary and easy to self-arrange design. Such a floor has the form of a boardwalk, the elements of which are laid at intervals to drain water from the bath into the ground.

Any additional devices, with the exception of perhaps an elementary drainage system in the underground, are not provided. Thermal insulation of such a floor is also not performed. In view of this, it is recommended to give preference to leaking structures only for the owners of baths in the southern regions. Also, such a floor would be appropriate in a country bath, used from time to time.

The leaking floor for the bath is extremely simple in self-arrangement. Repair and self-replacement of worn components will also not cause any difficulties. In this design, the boards are not fixed to the lags, so in the future the owner will be able to remove them without any problems and take them out of the room to the street for better drying.

If desired, instead of the traditional underground backfill, a pallet can be used, the liquid from which will be discharged into some suitable object of the sewer system.

It is somewhat more difficult to equip such a floor compared to a leaking counterpart. Such a system is laid out from two rows of high-quality wooden boards. For laying the first row, a larch or pine board is used. The finishing row is laid on logs, previously placed on reliable supports. The boards of this row should be maximally High Quality, without the slightest knots and gaps.

Under the upper flooring, a subfloor is arranged. You can use a heater. The floorboards of the draft part should be placed with some slope in the direction of collecting wastewater and further disposal of waste into a septic tank or sewer ditch.

To ensure the drainage of wastewater at the lowest point of the flooring, it is necessary to make a hole of suitable dimensions for connecting a siphon.

"Pie" of the concrete floor in the steam room

The arrangement of the capital floor involves the formation of a kind of "pie", which includes six main "layers", namely:

properly prepared for further concreting, high-quality compacted and hardened earthen base;
first concrete pour. Usually a layer is made 50 mm thick;
thermal insulation material. Most often, expanded clay backfill is used;
reinforcing layer of concrete with mesh;
leveling layer;
finish coating.

The soil, thermal insulation and each concrete layer - all this must have a slope towards the drain pit, i.e. the floor structure must be equipped with a normal bath drain. The slope is standard - about 10 degrees.

Choose the right floor plan. First, think about what kind of stove you will install in your steam room and whether a separate foundation is needed to place it. The basis for the furnace unit is best created at the stage of arranging the bath floor.

Wooden floor. Features of installation of leaking and non-leaking floors

The erection of the floor from the log and boards is carried out in several stages. Perform each of them sequentially, and you will get a reliable coating with excellent performance properties.

The first stage - supports

There is practically nothing complicated in the independent arrangement of a wooden floor. Pre-prepare a high-quality wooden beam with a section of 150x150 mm. Boards will be attached to it.

The logs will experience a fairly high load, so they can only be placed on supports. For the manufacture of such supports, it is allowed to use brick or reinforced concrete. Racks must be at least 150 mm thick. The racks themselves also rely on additional platforms. The width of such a platform should be approximately 70 mm greater than the width of the support post.

Select the height of the racks in accordance with the height of the foundation. In case of strip foundation racks should be placed flush with the edge of the base, in the case of columnar foundation make the racks such that their upper ends are flush with the upper ends of the pillars.

All supports are subject to mandatory waterproofing. To protect against moisture, bitumen or roofing material is usually used. Wooden structural elements are necessarily impregnated with an antiseptic.

Second stage - underground

Start filling the underground space. If the floor of the bath flowing, pour about an 25 cm cushion of gravel into the bottom of the cellar. If the soil at the construction site does not absorb liquid well, be sure to install a separate container of a suitable volume to collect wastewater.

When erecting non-leaking floor instead of gravel, expanded clay should be used. Make the height of the backfill such that its upper edge does not reach the lag by about 150 mm - this is the necessary ventilation gap. Tamp the backfill carefully.

The third stage - logs and boards

Proceed to laying the lag. If done flowing floor, you can start laying them from any wall convenient for you. If the floor non-leaking, mount logs with a slope to the drain.

Lay the logs on the supporting elements prepared for them. For additional security, you can fasten the logs to the supports using any suitable fasteners.

Start laying boards. If the floor is non-leaking, first equip the base (draft) base with moisture insulation and insulation, and already lay the tongue-and-groove boards on top of it. Direct the groove of the boards inside the steam room. Use nails, screws or other suitable fasteners to fasten the boards to the joists.

The plank floor does not need finishing.

Important: the wood in the steam room cannot be treated with any paints and varnishes.

Concrete floor

The concrete floor has many important advantages over wooden counterparts, among which the following points must be highlighted:

resistance to temperature extremes and high humidity;
long service life;
unpretentiousness in care and handling;
resistance to decay, corrosion, mechanical and other damage.

Arrangement

Carefully compact the soil and form on it about a 15-centimeter cushion of crushed stone soaked in bitumen. Crushed stone will contribute to an even distribution of the load.

Consider insulation. You can make a two-layer base with a layer of heat-insulating base, form a heat-insulating layer on top of the concrete and lay a topcoat on top, or install a floor heating system.

Most often, the option with double laying of concrete is chosen. Pour the bottom layer from the solution using large gravel (30-35 mm). This layer will be 15 cm thick.

If the steam room has a small area, you can pour the screed immediately over the entire base. Otherwise, it will be more convenient to divide the space into meter strips using guides.

It is important that the screed is as even and of high quality as possible.

Let the concrete dry and lay or pour the selected thermal insulation material on top of it.

Regardless of which insulation you decide to use for thermal insulation of the floor, the insulation material is laid on a pre-equipped moisture-proof layer. For waterproofing, roofing material or polyethylene is usually used. If you wish, you can buy some modern coating solution.

Warming, as already noted, is performed after the first layer of the concrete floor has dried. Expanded clay, boiler slag, mineral wool in slabs (mats), foam plastic and other similar materials are perfect for thermal insulation.

Each listed material has both a number of important advantages and some disadvantages. For example, at expanded clay gravel rather high cost, however, for the arrangement of a layer with the necessary thermal insulation properties of expanded clay, it will take much less than the same slag.

Styrofoam characterized by excellent thermal insulation properties, however, the service life of such insulation in a bath leaves much to be desired.

Mineral wool insulation also have excellent performance, but are not environmentally friendly.

Thus, each insulation has its drawbacks. Therefore, the final choice always remains with the user.

Traditionally, tiles or mosaics are used to finish the concrete floor. In the case of tiling, in most cases it is possible to refuse to pour a second layer of concrete, replacing it with a self-levelling mixture.

Cover the thermal insulation layer with a waterproofing material of your choice. Pour a 1.5-2 cm layer of a special self-leveling compound over the insulation. Such a fill will be an excellent basis for finishing cladding of tiles.

To fix the tiles, use a specially designed adhesive. Cover the entire planned surface, let the glue dry and grout the tile joints.

Before pouring the self-levelling compound, you can lay the elements of the floor heating system. However, in traditional Russian steam rooms and Finnish saunas, this is usually not necessary, but, for example, in a Turkish hammam, a heated floor will be more than appropriate.

Now you can independently equip the floor in your steam room. At the same time, you have a choice - you can make both a beautiful wooden floor and a solid and durable concrete floor. It all depends solely on your personal preferences and features of the operation of the bath. Choose the right option and get started.

Successful work!

Video - Do-it-yourself floors in the bath

For a bath, choosing the right flooring is very important. It must be resistant to decay. Durability is another important aspect of choosing a floor for a bath room. One of the best options is a concrete coating, which has excellent resistance to mechanical damage, to high temperatures and excess moisture. The technology for creating a concrete floor includes several stages, each of which requires a responsible approach and attention to the process itself.

It is known that a bath is a room that requires a good drainage system. It is especially important if you intend to constantly use the steam room. It is necessary to start creating a drain at the very beginning of creating the floor. Concrete is a fairly strong material, and it will be very difficult for you to create a sewage outlet after it has hardened.

First you need to choose the most convenient point for creating a drain system. Consider the peculiarities of the arrangement of objects in the room - the drain should not interfere with you during the bathing process. The best option is a liquid outlet located under the lounger.

It is recommended to create an intermediate water collector called a pit. It should be located directly above the gutter. The size of the tank will directly depend on how much water will be consumed.

If we take average indicators, then the pit should not be too small - its optimal size is 40x40x30 cm. The tank itself must be concreted, the minimum layer thickness is 50 mm. From the pit itself, it is necessary to divert a pipe with a diameter of 200 mm, which will connect the intermediate water collector and the gutter.

Drainage in the bath

After creating a pit and hardening of concrete, it will be possible to proceed directly to the creation of a floor covering. Please note that the floor height will be different from what is present now. It is recommended to create a pit at a height of about 500 mm. It is better to calculate in advance at what height the top layer of the coating will be and, starting from this value, create a water collector.

You can create a pit immediately after the completion of all work, but then consider the possibility of creating a drain, for example, install a pipe, which will be the conductor for the used liquid.

sand concrete

Step 2. Determining the method of thermal insulation

Concrete is known to take a long time to heat up. In the case of a bath, this quality can become big minus. To avoid long heating of the bath, it is necessary to take into account the thermal conductivity of the material in advance. There are several ways to insulate a concrete floor, and which one to choose is up to you.

The first method will not require significant financial costs from you, however, you will need to use more physical strength. To ensure decent thermal insulation, use two layers of concrete. Thermal insulation material is laid between them.

The second way is to create an insulating layer on the surface of the concrete floor, but then you will need to install an additional floor covering. Most often, wooden boards are chosen, which cannot serve for a long time in a wet room.

In this article, we will consider the first method of thermal insulation of a concrete floor, as it is more popular.

Step 3. Laying the first layer of concrete

The first layer of concrete should be poured onto the prepared surface. To do this, the ground on which the bath is located must be leveled. Large differences in the height of the relief threaten with unpleasant consequences - the coating itself will not be even. For the bottom layer, you can use a filler of large fractions - 20-35 mm. Crushed stone is ideal for additional strengthening of the solution.

Gravel or broken brick should be poured onto the previously prepared (rammed) soil. Backfill thickness of 150 mm is the most preferred option. This layer must be leveled. The second layer of material - crushed stone - is laid in a kind of "cushion" and is also leveled. Its thickness can vary depending on the desired height of the floor itself. The optimal value is 100 mm.

After the relative shrinkage of the two layers of material and their alignment, you can start pouring concrete. If the bath itself is small, you can immediately begin to work around the entire perimeter of the room. If the room has big size, it is recommended to divide it with metal or wooden guides into strips 1000 mm wide and fill the space sequentially. The first layer of concrete may have a thickness of 120 to 150 mm.

After pouring concrete, it is necessary to start leveling the surface. For this, a special tool is used - a rule with the help of which the solution that has not yet hardened is smoothed and takes on the desired shape. Do not forget that the floor must necessarily have a slight slope towards the pit, which will fall into wastewater. You should not make a big skew - a difference of 10-50 mm will be enough.

Never start the second stage of work earlier than a few days later. Concrete must acquire the necessary strength. You need to know that this material hardens best in a humid environment. To speed up the process and give the concrete greater strength, you can use a layer of sawdust, which will need to be moistened in a timely manner. Only after a few days it will be possible to proceed to the next step of creating a concrete floor.

Step 4. Creation of waterproofing and insulation of the concrete floor

Never forget that the bath must have good waterproofing. It is in this room that high humidity will prevail, and in order to avoid early failure of coating materials, it is necessary to provide them with good protection.

For a bath, the most optimal option is a two-layer waterproofing. The pre-prepared concrete pavement should not have any cracks or irregularities, and there should be no oil stains on its surface.

On the already dried concrete, liquid mastic is applied in several layers. Each layer must be completely dry before the next stage of waterproofing. After the application of the mastic is completed and it dries completely, rolled waterproofing is laid. Most often, roofing material or ordinary plastic film is chosen. Make sure that there are no gaps between the rolls - this way you will completely protect the coating from excess moisture.

waterproofing mastic

After preparing the waterproofing layer, you can proceed to the insulation of the coating. Several materials can be used:

foam concrete;
expanded clay;
special mats;
boiler slag;
expanded polystyrene.

Of course, each option has its pros and cons. The choice will depend only on your personal preferences and the financial means that you can spend on creating the floor. For the insulation layer, its thickness is also important (the optimal value is 50-100 mm) and a flat surface.

Step 5. Laying the top layer of concrete

After warming and creating good waterproofing, you can proceed to the last stage of work - pouring the last layer of concrete. For it, you need to choose fine aggregate fractions.

At the last stage, the correct laying of the material is very important. You can be guided by the same principles as when creating the first concrete layer - take into account the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. Pay attention to leveling the surface and compacting the material. If the size of the room is small, you can do without additional reinforcement. However, a large area requires additional strengthening of the coating with a special metal mesh, which should be inside the concrete.

For the top layer of the concrete mixture, a thickness of 100 mm is suitable. Do not forget about the necessary slope of the floor towards the drain, otherwise the used liquid will remain indoors.

After the final leveling of the concrete, be sure to allow the material to harden. Moistened sawdust can also be used to give the solution greater strength. For several days, the top layer of concrete should harden, only after that it will be possible to use the bath for its intended purpose.

If you do not want to leave a simple concrete floor in the bath, you can install an additional coating on top. For this, boards laid like an ordinary floor are often used. The ideal option would be ordinary wooden flooring, which, if necessary, can be easily removed from the room for drying.