Yes, it is different and very much! And this needs to be known and understood well. Since, due to improper design, the floor in a steam room or washing room of a Russian bath is likely to rot very quickly. And most often, the lower crowns begin to rot along with the floor, if the bathhouse is made of logs or timber.
If you delve deeper into history, the floors in the baths in black were done directly on the ground. And when they rotted they were simply replaced. When white bathhouses became widespread, the floors were made either on the ground or poured. That is, boards were laid and gaps were left between them for water to flow through. Most often, directly under the bathhouse, sometimes water was drained from under the bathhouse somewhere to the side. During Soviet times, due to shortages building materials poured floors in the baths were practically the only affordable option. Under the bathhouses, troughs were made of concrete, roofing felt, metal, or something else to collect the flowing water and drain it outside the bathhouse. Even now, on many sites for bathhouse construction, you can find recommendations from the last century about organizing such troughs.
With the advent of accessible materials, the design of floors in bathhouses has changed. This coincided with a construction boom in our country. A lot of teams appeared that built everyone is at home, cottages, garages, bathhouses. And these completely different objects were built, out of ignorance, using the same technology - “like a neighbor.” The floors in almost all baths were made of wood and insulated. This classic insulated floor design comes from residential construction. In a residential building, in the absence of high humidity and water on the floor, this design is absolutely acceptable. But not every bathhouse can have such floors.
At the same time, again out of ignorance, the mass-built baths were far from the Russian bath. In them, almost everywhere, metal stoves were installed, which heated the steam room to temperatures above +100C. Humidity in such steam rooms usually does not exceed 15-30%. The wood, including the floors, in steam baths of such baths is usually always dry. Therefore, the design of the floor was not given much importance. And therefore, without hesitation, classic insulated wooden floors were installed everywhere. Problems could only arise in the washrooms. But the builders assured the customers that they had installed waterproofing under the floor boards and everything would be fine. They believed them because they did not know that 100% waterproofing in living conditions extremely difficult to do. Someone coated the floors with sealants and mastics, someone installed shower trays. But in any case, since in saunas and dry-air steam rooms the humidity is low and the temperature is high, these floors usually dried out at least and did not create any special problems.
Recently it has become popular to build Russian baths. But since most of them were built and are being built by the same teams of “specialists” with no knowledge of what a Russian bath is, they build buildings using absolutely the same technology and install the same metal stoves as in saunas and dry-air steam rooms. The building is proudly called the Russian Bath, although in fact it has nothing in common with it. And the floors in such “Russian baths” were made of insulated wood, just like everywhere else. And, since in essence this building is not a Russian bathhouse, there is no high humidity in these buildings. Accordingly, insulated wooden floors are not bad. But this does not mean that in proper Russian baths you can also install insulated wooden floors using classical technology.
In proper Russian baths there can be only two options for proper floors that will not rot. These are classic poured floors, which I mentioned above, and insulated screed on the ground, which I will discuss in detail below. Wooden floors insulated using classical technology cannot be installed in a real Russian bathhouse! They will rot very quickly and, with a high probability, will rot along with the lower crowns of the bathhouse. In the above photo the rotten lower crown timber bathhouse with classic insulated wooden floors.
Many people claim that they will not pour water on the floor, so there will be no problems with the floor rotting. This is true for saunas and dry-air baths, but this is a deep misconception if we are talking about a Russian bath. In Russian baths, the floors in the steam room are constantly damp due to the fact that when sacrificing large number steam, which tends to cool down as it descends to the floor and condense on the floor with a large amount of moisture. Steam is also lowered to the floor using a broom while steaming. Therefore, a lot of water collects on the floor in the steam room of the Russian bath and in some cases there are even puddles. So even if the water doesn’t pour on purpose, there will still be a lot of it on the floor.
The type of foundation for the construction of a Russian bathhouse is also important, since not all foundations can have the correct floors. For example, the now very popular foundation on screw piles or a columnar foundation is only suitable for organizing a poured floor. A screed on the ground on such a foundation cannot be done without “dancing with a tambourine.” And poured floors have quite a lot of disadvantages and therefore are not very popular and in demand. So a columnar foundation or a foundation on screw piles is extremely undesirable for a Russian bathhouse. Strip foundation of different types and different depths or slab according to soil - optimal foundation option for the Russian bathhouse.
Next, I will talk about the design of a pouring floor, an insulated screed on the ground and a classic insulated wooden floor. About their pros and cons, I will give recommendations in which cases which of these types of floors is advisable to use. 
The pouring floor, as I wrote above, consists of boards that are laid on logs with a certain distance from each other. The distance between the boards is necessary to allow water to drain. I really do not recommend draining waste water directly under the bathhouse onto the ground. Even if the level groundwater short. The fact is that over time, an unpleasant odor may appear from the discharged water and it will enter the bathhouse through cracks in the floor. In order to remove wastewater from under the bathhouse, a drainage system is made. Most often, this is a kind of trough made of metal or cast concrete, into which water is collected from all rooms of the bathhouse with a pouring floor and a gutter or pipe is discharged outside the bathhouse into a septic tank, drainage ditch, or some other way.
The underground space in a bathhouse with pouring floors must be ventilated. Most often, vents are used that close in winter during procedures and open again when drying. Otherwise, stagnation of moist air in the underground space of the bathhouse is possible, which can lead to rotting. It is also highly recommended to lift the floor boards to dry after bath procedures. In bathhouses with pouring floors, the floor boards are usually not “tightly” attached.
The advantages of a poured floor: the cheapest and simplest flooring option, can be used on any foundation, inspected when dry, easy to replace if rotting occurs, well suited for summer baths.
Disadvantages of a poured floor: it is not comfortable in winter due to the possible blowing of cold air through cracks in the floor, the need to lift the boards to dry after procedures, due to improper drainage waste water unpleasant odors from the underground space are possible. 
An insulated screed on the ground or an insulated slab on the ground is the most preferred floor for the steam room and washing room in the Russian bathhouse. It is arranged as follows: fertile soil is removed, a sand and gravel cushion is poured and compacted well, all communications are laid - water, sewerage, ventilation ducts, then a preliminary unreinforced screed of 2-4 cm is poured, then waterproofing is laid according to all the rules, then extruded polystyrene foam is laid - EPPS or otherwise Penoplex 50-100mm, waterproofing is laid on it, then a final reinforced concrete screed of 8-12cm on which water or electric heated floors can be laid and the final half, most often porcelain stoneware. Porcelain tiles are used because this material is not afraid of frost and frequent drop temperatures from minus to plus. Vents in the strip foundation, when using insulated screed on the ground as floors, are not required. 
In the case of installing a screed on the ground inside a strip foundation, it is necessary to make an expansion joint of 30 mm thick EPS. This seam breaks the concrete of the strip foundation and the furnace foundation, if required, from the screed along the ground. Expansion seam required to compensate for seasonal movements of the screed relative to the strip foundation and furnace foundation, especially on heaving soils.
Also, in the case of installing a ground screed inside a strip foundation, it is necessary to lower the insulated ground screed below the upper edge of the base. This is done in order to protect the wooden structure of the bathhouse wall from the inevitable splashes of water from the floor. It is recommended to make the distance from the upper edge of the plinth to the finished floor 15-30 cm. Porcelain tiles are installed vertically there to prevent water from reaching the foundation strip.
When installing porcelain tiles on the floor, it is recommended to use frost-resistant tile adhesive for porcelain tiles; grout the seams not with classic grout, but with silicone sealant. This is required to compensate for possible seasonal movements of the tiles and ensure waterproofing. There are positive examples of installing porcelain tiles directly on EPS sheets without the use of reinforced screed. Such floors warm up quickly and are more comfortable. Before installing the tiles directly on the EPS, it is necessary to lay the EPS boards very evenly; it is advisable to glue them in a preliminary screed to prevent possible movements. Then the EPS surface is mechanically made as rough as possible. Porcelain tiles are glued to EPS using conventional tile adhesive for porcelain tiles.
An insulated screed on the ground, due to the thick layer of concrete in the reinforced screed, is a fairly cold surface. Especially in winter. Therefore, it is recommended, if possible, to install water or electric heated floors in the screed. Such floors are very pleasant for bare feet in the bathhouse, and also help to dry the bathhouse after procedures. If it is not possible to lay a heated floor in a screed, then I recommend laying foam bathroom mats and wooden gratings on the tiles in the washing room and steam room. It is quite comfortable to walk on these surfaces with bare feet even in winter. And in the rest room I recommend using 10mm thick cork. Walking on such a surface with bare feet in winter is much more pleasant than on tiles or laminate. Plus, cork is not afraid of water.
To remove waste water in an insulated screed over the ground, a sewer system. Conventional plastic sewer pipes are placed in the screed, pre-wrapped with compensating porous material such as penofol. If the bathhouse is not constantly heated in winter, then ordinary sewer drains will not work with a water seal. The water in them will freeze and the ladder will be inoperable, or the ice may rupture the body of the ladder. Therefore, in such cases, I recommend using a drain with a dry mechanical seal.
In the rest room, you can make finished floors on an insulated screed on the ground, not necessarily from porcelain stoneware. You can use moisture-resistant laminate, cork coverings, wooden floors and other coverings. Materials that are afraid of moisture and linoleum are not recommended.
The advantages of an insulated screed on the ground: a very reliable and safe floor in terms of rotting, it is done once and for all, it is possible to use water or electric heated floors, large selection finishing coatings, convenient in terms of organizing sewage drains.
Disadvantages of insulated screed on the ground: expensive and complex design, without water or electric heated floors, cold in tactile sensations. 
A classic insulated wooden floor can be used in saunas and dry-air baths, but in the Russian Bath it is highly not recommended. Due to the large amount of moisture on the floor, there is a very high probability of it getting into the floor insulation. This will lead to a rotting process. Moreover, the lower crown, which is usually located inside the “pie” of a classic insulated wooden floor, can also begin to rot. Many people believe that it is possible to waterproof a floor 100%, but practice shows that achieving this in domestic conditions is extremely difficult.
A classic insulated wooden floor consists of a rough wooden floor, which is hemmed to the joists from below, then a vapor barrier is laid, and insulation is laid on top of it. Usually this is mineral wool with a thickness of 100-150mm. Waterproofing and a finished floor are laid on top of it. In buildings with a classic insulated wooden floor, a sufficient number of vents in the foundation is necessary for high-quality ventilation of the underground space.
Pros of class 
assic wooden insulated floor in the Russian bath: relative simplicity and low cost of construction, suitable for all types of foundations, pleasant to the tactile sensations even in winter, does not require the installation of a water or electric heated floor.
Disadvantages of a classic wooden insulated floor in a Russian bath: not suitable for floors in the steam room and washing room of a Russian bath, the impossibility of inspecting for rotting, difficulties in organizing the collection and drainage of wastewater into the sewer.
Fluid floors are the simplest solution for flooring in traditional Russian baths. The fundamental difference between pourable floors and other types is that water escapes throughout the entire area of the room through small cracks. The further path of the drained water depends on design solutions, we will talk about them below.
Previously, lumber was not considered a scarce and expensive material; during the construction of bathhouses, thick boards and logs were used coniferous species wood This choice of materials made it possible to guarantee a long service life of the bathhouse, despite the very difficult conditions for wooden structures.
The bathhouses stood for several decades, the structures were rotten - the bathhouse was jacked up, one or two crowns were replaced along with the floor coverings, and the building was used again for several decades.
Modern construction technologies allow us to achieve the same long service life of a bathhouse with significantly lower lumber costs. There is a wide variety of very effective impregnations that reliably protect wood from putrefactive processes.
Let's consider the technology of installing pouring floors for various designs of Russian baths.
Shower floors for baths on columnar or pile foundations
Quite common foundations for Russian baths, in terms of cost and operational characteristics satisfy most developers. And for flooring and wooden structures, underground spaces are an ideal option. Provide the highest possible natural ventilation, reduce the likelihood of developing fungal diseases of wood, etc.
Practical advice. When arranging such foundations, take the necessary measures to ensure that the building area of the bathhouse is on a slight elevation, this will ensure that water quickly flows out of the building. This is especially important on heavy clay soils. Do not allow puddles of standing water to appear under the bathhouse.
Step 1. Calculation of quantities and preparation of materials. Measure the length and width of the steam room, find out its area. For covering, use edged boards 35÷40 mm thick, buy them with a small margin. In addition to the boards, you will need a plinth and nails approximately 100 mm long.
Soak the boards with an antiseptic. Impregnate only dry lumber; carry out work in a shaded place and in calm weather. You need to soak it at least twice.
Please note that the boards should absorb the antiseptic and not dry it in the sun.
Floor beams or joists also need to be treated.
It is advisable to lay the floors on beams; if they were not installed during the construction of the log house, they will have to be laid on joists. To do this, you need to do preparatory work.
At least two layers of roofing felt must be placed between the joists and posts. After 10-14 days the logs can be laid. The ends of the logs are fixed to the crowns of the log house with metal corners and self-tapping screws.
Step 2. Cut all boards to size.
To avoid deformation, the length of the boards should be 1÷1.5 cm less than the size of the steam room. Before cutting the boards, check the dimensions of the bath; if the width of the room at the corners is not the same, then you will have to adjust each board separately. It is better to cut with a hand-held electric saw. Before working with any electric tool, check its serviceability and the condition of the cutting element.
Step 3. The distance between the boards should be within one to one and a half millimeters; this width of the cracks is sufficient for rapid drainage of water, and small gaps minimize the negative impact of possible drafts. By the way, you should not be afraid of them; a large number of cracks throughout the entire area of the room do not allow too high a speed of air movement through them.
It is highly advisable to make the cracks the same throughout the entire floor; for this you should use a template. We recommend using ordinary wooden rulers for these purposes. They are perfect in thickness, and the corners of the boards will not be damaged. Place the rulers vertically along the edges of the board being nailed; after fixing the first ruler, they are removed and installed between the next ones.
Place a ruler or other template between the floor boards during installation.
Start laying the boards from the threshold; as a rule, there is a shelf on the opposite wall, under which you can hide an uneven floorboard.
Step 4. Nail in. You need at least two nails for each board; they should be nailed along the edges and only at a slight angle. In this position, the nail passes through several annual rings, which minimizes the risk of cracking of the lumber.
Important. Floorboards, regardless of width, must be nailed to each joist or beam with two nails. Otherwise, they will certainly warp over time, which causes great inconvenience during bath procedures.
If the last board does not fit the rail, measure the exact dimensions and saw off the excess part. That's all with the boards, you can move on to the baseboards.
Installation of floor skirting boards
The profile of the skirting boards does not matter, choose which one you like best. Skirting boards are nailed with nails 30÷40 millimeters long, the specific values depend on its thickness and width.
Step 1. Take measurements of the steam room around the perimeter. Skirting boards have standard length two meters, and most steam rooms are wider and longer. This means that the moldings will have to be joined. If in ordinary premises uneven joints can be sealed with wood putty or colored sealant, but this method of eliminating errors cannot be used in a bathhouse, the putty will quickly fall off. Try to make the joints of the skirting boards in inconspicuous places: behind the stove, near containers with water, under a shelf, etc. Of course, be very careful when cutting the skirting boards; the tool must be sharp and in good working order.
Step 2. Check the corners of the bath, they should all be exactly 90°. File the end of the baseboard at a 45° angle. For even sawing, use a factory-made miter box or make the device yourself.
We recommend cutting with a hacksaw - the cut area is much smoother. Always apply the left plinth to the miter box on the left, and the right one on the right, to the side away from you. Otherwise, instead of an external corner, you will get an internal one and vice versa. If you rarely work with a chair, we advise you to write on its sides where to install the left and right ceiling and floor plinths on the outer and inner corners.
Video - How to join skirting boards
It is somewhat more difficult to cut the baseboard if the angle of the steam room is different from straight. If you do not have enough experience, we advise you to try cutting any slats for the first time. Install them in the right place so that they rest against the walls. Use a pencil to mark where the slats intersect.
From these marks, draw straight lines to the corners, make a cut along the lines. Check what you got. Everything is correct - excellent, repeat the same operations with the baseboard. Appeared in the gley big gap– think about where you made the mistake, repeat all operations again, taking into account the error. This does not take much time and will save expensive material.
Step 3. Start nailing the baseboard from the corner of the bathhouse, step back 2-3 centimeters from the cut point, nail the nails at an angle at a distance of 30-40 centimeters.
Step 4. Using the same method, nail the baseboard on all sides of the steam room. Check their position and, if necessary, remove any burrs or lint using sandpaper. If there is a noticeable difference in height at the joints, then first remove them with a sharp chisel, and then correct them with sandpaper.
That's all. In Russian baths, as a rule, the floors are not varnished or painted, but if you really want to, do it finishing coat. Just keep in mind that no matter how durable coatings you use, they will still peel off - the operating conditions are too harsh.
Now let's look at how to make pouring floors in bathhouses on a strip foundation.
If your bathhouse is located on sandstones, there are no problems; you can lay the drain floor using the method described above. The sand will absorb all the water without any problems. If the soil under the bathhouse is clay or loamy, then preparatory work will have to be done. The fact is that the strip foundation forms a closed space under the steam room; the constant presence of water in it has a very negative effect on everything wooden structures buildings. To drain water, a cement-sand screed should be made.
Preparatory work
Inspect the foundation, check for ventilation and service holes in the tape.
Water can be drained into the ventilation holes only if they are located at the required distance from the top plane of the foundation strip. This distance should be at least 20 centimeters. If the holes in your bathhouse are located higher, then you will have to make a special one to drain the water.
What does the vast majority of articles on the Internet offer? Under the steam room, make a screed in the form of a funnel and install it in the middle of the drain pipe. We suspect that this method of solving problems is recommended by those who have not done anything with their own hands. Why? Let's briefly look at this technology and point out its disadvantages.
- Along the perimeter of the steam room, you need to select soil with a smooth depression in the middle of the room, then pour sand in the same way. Disadvantages - a fairly large amount of excavation work, requiring care and numerous checks of the geometry of the recess.
- The drainage pipe should be installed in a funnel. The disadvantage is that you need to dig a separate trench under it, make sure that the proper slope is maintained and that it exactly coincides with the existing hole in the foundation strip. Doing this is not just difficult, but very difficult.
- Make the screed with an inclination towards the center of the funnel. The disadvantage is that it is technically impossible to complete the work in one day; you need to wait until the first half of the screed hardens and only then start concreting the second half. But that's not all. We assure you that such work can only be performed by real professionals. If you only saw the trowel in the photo in the article, don’t even start making a funnel-shaped screed for water drainage. And one more thing. No matter what measures you take, a temporary gap in laying the screed in the middle of the funnel will definitely cause a crack. It is clear where the water will go.
What do we offer? The screed under the pouring floor should prevent water from entering the ground and drain it beyond the perimeter of the bathhouse underground. We offer an option to achieve this task with much less effort and less time wasted. And yet, according to our algorithm, almost anyone can make a screed and drain the water on their own, the main thing is that there is a desire.
Our option - The screed under the pouring floor is flat with a slight slope towards one of the walls of the bathhouse, preferably in the direction where the stove is located. There the temperature is higher and the water dries better. The slope of the screed is within one centimeter per linear meter, for a bathhouse 4 meters wide, it is enough to make a slope of 4 ÷ 5 centimeters.
Advantages of the method:
- there is no need to engage in labor-intensive and complex from a construction point of view work on laying the outlet pipe. Using a simplified technology, you first need to make the entire screed, then in the lowest place near the wall make a hole in the tape just below the level of the screed. Insert a piece of pipe into the hole and seal the gaps between the pipe and the hole made in the foundation on both sides with mortar;
- The volume of earthworks is significantly reduced. You just need to throw a small layer of earth from one wall to the opposite and level it with a shovel. But this can only be done when there is a special vibrating plate or time reserve for natural shrinkage. Of course, then it is poured and compacted sand cushion. Less work?
It is this simple option for preparing an underground for a poured floor that we will focus on.
Step by step instructions
Step, No. Description of work Illustrations| Step 1 | Decide on a specific water outlet location. It is advisable that it be located behind the stove. But this is not always possible - the water must come out from the side of the bathhouse opposite the facade or into a special storage tank. Structurally, it can be difficult to satisfy two conditions at the same time. | |
| Step 2 | Use a shovel to slope the area under the steam room and gradually remove the soil in small layers. Using a hydraulic level, check the slope; it should be approximately one centimeter per meter of length. Prepare the site taking into account that a sand cushion up to ten centimeters thick will be poured on top. | |
| Step 3 | Add sand and compact it. Level the area with a long lath, sloping towards the water outlet. | |
| Step 4 | Install beacons for the screed. The thickness of the screed is no more than five centimeters; take slats of the same width and install them on a sandy base. Fix the slats in several places with mortar on both sides. Check the position of the slats with a level and a rope. For these works there is no need to comply high accuracy, the main thing is that the water drains from the surface. Problem areas can be easily corrected later. If you are in a hurry, sprinkle the mortar near the slats with dry cement and after a few seconds, remove the damp cement from the mortar. Repeat this operation two to three times. Such simple steps will allow you to work with slats in just a few minutes, their stability will be quite sufficient. |
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| Step 5 | Screed using a semi-dry mortar. To make it, you need to reduce the amount of water; when squeezing the solution in your hand through your fingers, no water should appear and at the same time the shape should be preserved. | |
| Step 6 | Level the solution with a lath, remove small depressions and elevations with grout. Continue working in this way over the entire area of the steam room. |
The semi-dry solution allows you to continue work the next day. Wooden slats-beacons do not need to be removed; they will serve as additional preventers from the appearance of cracks in the screed.
Now all that remains is to use a hammer drill to make a through hole in the foundation strip for water to drain. Make it 2-3 centimeters below the level of the screed; the hole should have a slight slope outward. Insert a pipe into the hole, check its position and carefully seal the gaps between the pipe and the hole with mortar.
The next day, check the base for drainage quality. Pour a bucket of water in the highest place and watch how it goes and in what places it lingers. If necessary, correct the plane of the screed and eliminate places where water stagnates. At the drainage section of the foundation, make a small groove with a slope towards the pipe.
Practical advice. In order for the fresh solution to have good adhesion to the old one, there is no need to use expensive mastics. Moisten the problem area well with water, pour a thin layer of cement and thoroughly rub it over the surface with a brush.
That's all, now you can lay the flooring using the technology described above.
1. Do not nail the boards under the shelves; after taking bath procedures, place them on their edges
At first glance, it may seem that there is logic, drying should speed up. But that's not true. To make sure of this, it’s worth remembering about ventilation, it doesn’t matter what type it is: forced or natural. The amount of air removed from the room depends on the size of the inlet and outlet openings. Removing several floorboards under the shelf seems to enlarge the entry hole, and rightly so. Only the outlet hole remains the same, as much air as came out through it will continue to come out.
The total area of all the cracks in the floor is always greater than the area of the outlet vent; there is no point in removing several boards. This will not improve the drying of the floor, but on the contrary, it will worsen it. If in the normal state air flowed evenly through the cracks throughout the entire area of the room and dried the entire floor area, now it will flow mainly through the expanded hole, and most of the flooring will dry much more slowly.
2. Arrange the flooring from separate panels and remove them after the bath to dry
And we don’t recommend doing this; other than headaches and wasted work, there will be no result. Again, due to the fact that the drying of the panels will be very uneven. There is no need to invent a bicycle, believe the centuries-old experience of our ancestors, provide normal natural ventilation of the underground and high-quality ventilation of the room.
3. Boards need to be planed on both sides
Flooring materials must be passed through a thicknesser; they must be smooth on both sides - smooth boards absorb moisture less.
Now what's really going on. Planed and unplaned boards get wet equally in thickness; there is no wetting of the pile negative influence does not provide. And during drying, the pile, on the contrary, speeds up the drying time of the lumber due to a significant increase in the total surface area. Next, capillary phenomena are triggered, the roughness quickly sucks moisture from the body of the board and speeds up its drying. Planing on both sides does not improve the drying process, but only reduces the thickness of the boards. You should not convert commercial wood into shavings; do not waste time and money in vain.
Video - Bathhouse and floors in it
Video - About the correct design of a Russian bath
The problem of heavy steam, constantly cold floors, rotting floorboards and mustiness in the steam room is familiar to many bathhouse attendants firsthand. In fact, all this can be solved, especially at the construction stage. Good effect allows the use of a pouring floor (with slots), heated and dried due to ventilation. I’ll try to explain how I managed to implement this technical solution in frame bath on screw piles.
How does a ventilated flow floor work?
A poured floor is a classic, there’s nothing complicated about it. The boards are not laid end to end, but with small gaps. Water that gets on the floor seeps through these cracks into the subfloor. There she remains for some time. If the subfloor is not ventilated and remains cold, a damp smell appears, and gradually the floor boards begin to rot. In addition, there is heavy steam, stuffiness, and there is a feeling that you can’t breathe. Not much pleasant.
Of course, it is worth noting that such a nuisance is common both for poured floors and for ordinary wooden ones, with floorboards laid end to end. Wood, whatever one may say, absorbs moisture and as a result begins to rot.
The problem can be solved by including the floor and subfloor in the overall ventilation system of bathhouses. That is, you need to make sure that warm air from the steam room could get into the underground, warm up and dry the wet floorboards. Due to the design of the pouring floors (the presence of cracks), it is quite easy to “force” the hot air to fall into the underground and do your work there.
In my bathhouse this is implemented as follows:
- the sink and steam room use a pouring floor with a common subfloor in the form of a pallet;
- the walls of the sink and steam room are insulated and separated by a sealed partition;
- the stove is embedded in the partition between the sink and the steam room, the firebox is located on the sink side;
- air for the firebox is taken only from the sink (with doors and windows closed);
- outside air is supplied to the bathhouse through a ventilation duct located under the convectors of the stove; air access to the steam room through other channels is not provided.
When the furnace is fired and draft occurs, outside air through the ventilation duct it enters the convector, warms up and rises up to the ceiling of the steam room. Gradually it cools down, lowers and, under the influence of traction, passes through the cracks of the pouring floor into the subfloor.
I repeat that the subfloor in my version of the floor is a sealed pan and the heated air, having entered it, does not dissipate, but exits through the cracks in the floor into the washing room. Then it goes into the furnace firebox. Thus, the air moves along the circuit, blowing and warming the subfloor.
The following photos clearly illustrate technological solutions for the described ventilation scheme:
Partition between sink and steam room, stove built into the partition
Under the stove there is a ventilation duct through which outside air accesses the convector
Ventilation duct holes in grillage
There's nothing complicated about it. It is enough to install the stove between the sink and the steam room, and arrange a ventilation duct between the logs to supply air to the convectors of the stove. And poured floors with a sealed underground will be included in the ventilation system. Now I have come to the most important issue, which is what my photo report is devoted to - the issue of installing hot water floors.
Step by step construction process
Step #1. Installation of grillage and joists
I began constructing the floor after the screw piles that served as the foundation for my bathhouse under construction were screwed in and filled with concrete. The height of the posts above the ground is 50 cm, 10 pieces in total.
The first step is installation of the grillage. I made it up from horizontal planks (boards 200x50 mm) extending into the internal space between the piles and vertically installed boards 150x50 mm. The beam boards are fastened with self-tapping screws and nailed. The grillage is installed on piles and screwed to them with anchor bolts.
The logs are laid on the beams, pulled together through the vertical grillage boards with self-tapping screws and nailed with 100 mm nails.
All boards are antiseptic with HMF BF. According to the project, a polycarbonate tray will be pushed under the grillage and screwed to the beds.
Step #2. Ventilation duct device
To ensure air supply to the stove convector, a ventilation duct was formed in two spaces between the logs (under the stove). To do this, I drilled holes in the grillage board, closed the opening between the joists with crossbars, and hemmed the bottom OSB sheet, sealed the seams with sealant.
Holes in the grillage board - for air access to the ventilation duct
Logs under the bottom of the furnace, forming the frame of the ventilation duct
I made a double cover for the ventilation duct, also from OSB. In the first part of the lid (it is permanently installed and cannot be removed), I cut out holes that will be placed under the bottom of the oven. I covered them with a fine metal mesh to protect them from dust and dirt.
The second part of the cover was not secured with anything; it can be removed to clean the ventilation duct if necessary. I sealed the joint with plumbing tape. On top of the lid I placed two LSU plates with cut out windows so that they coincided with the holes in the ventilation duct cover. All seams were sealed with sealant. As a result, I got a ventilation duct with thermal protection.
The cover for the ventilation duct is made double with two holes through which air will flow to the stove convector
Glass-magnesium sheet (GFS) is a non-flammable material with excellent thermal insulation properties
Outside, I installed an anemostat on the ventilation duct openings to be able to block access to the duct (reducing draft, protecting against insects). I put it there supply fan to increase the flow of fresh air.
The anemostat allows you to open and close the ventilation duct as needed
The supply fan allows you to increase the flow of outside air into the steam room
Step #3. Pallet assembly
Let me remind you that the design of my pouring floor consists of two parts - the floor itself (floorboards on joists) and a sealed tray that slides under the grillage.
I'll start with the pallet. It is made of a wooden outline (board) and a polycarbonate bottom with a drain. The shape of the pallet is the simplest, providing for the inclination of the body boards to the right corner of the grillage. This is where the drain goes.
The body is made from boards 150x50 mm, treated with HMF BF antiseptic.
The bottom material is polycarbonate, used for greenhouses, 4 mm thick. I’m not worried about it; it’s one of the most reliable and durable structural plastics. The polycarbonate is screwed to the body boards with self-tapping screws. The contact areas of the polycarbonate caps are protected with plumbing tape.
Polycarbonate sheet screwed to the wooden body of the pallet
To prevent the polycarbonate from sagging, the bottom is reinforced with wooden slats.
The slats will not allow the polycarbonate bottom to sag and crack under its own weight and the weight of water
The drainage area is lined at the bottom with a triangular OSB cover. All seams and joints are coated with sealant.
The finished pallet is pushed under the grillage, lubricated with sealant, jacked and screwed to the planks with plumbing bolts. The joints are sealed with sealant.
The pan turned out to be very sealed, the water leaves only through the drain. When the drain becomes clogged (with soap, small debris), the water sits in the pan, like in a trough. This necessitates checking the condition of the pan and cleaning the drain as necessary.
For the ventilated floor scheme to work, it is not necessary to make a special tray, like mine. The main thing is that the underground is airtight.
For example, concrete when using a strip foundation. Then the foundation walls will become the walls of the underground. But! The vents will have to be plugged while heating the bathhouse, otherwise, instead of heating the floor, you may end up with condensation on the subfloor surfaces.
Step #4. Laying floorboards
I decided to use dry planed boards as floorboards. I laid them on the joists and left gaps. I didn’t secure the boards with anything, I just laid them out and that’s it - fortunately, they are heavy, so they practically don’t “walk”. This solution helps me simplify the maintenance and cleaning of the tray. After visiting the bathhouse, the boards are removed, placed on edge and dried. The pan can be washed and the drain cleaned.
The floorboards are laid with gaps - for water drainage and free air circulation
Hot pouring floor in the steam room - worthy solution problems of heavy steam and musty air in the bathhouse
Results
As a result, my bathhouse always has warm and dry floors. And also - light steam and rapid heating of all surfaces.
The climate in the bathhouse is as follows:
- With the doors closed and the furnace fired, the temperature on the shelf rises to 45°C in 10-15 minutes (provided the bath has been slightly warmed up with open doors up to a shelf temperature of 25°C).
- After an hour of bathing procedures, the temperature on the shelf is about 60°C, the floorboards heat up to 50°C. The floor becomes pleasantly warm, almost hot, as do the walls with the shelf.
- The floor in the steam room dries almost instantly, and in the sink area - in a few hours.
- It is easy to breathe in the steam room, as there is an influx of fresh air (which is immediately heated by the stove) through the ventilation duct.
- There is no need for frequent ventilation.
- No musty smell.
- You feel that the air is drier than in the old Russian baths, but, of course, not to the same extent as in the sauna. It’s easy to increase the humidity – you just need to add water to the heater.
There are also some shortcomings, but they are minor, at least for me. Firstly, the efficiency of the bathhouse is somewhat reduced, since fresh air is constantly heated, and the heated portion is discharged onto the street. Secondly, various soaps and shampoos become very hot on a hot floor. You need to look for another place for them or take them outside the steam room during particularly intense steaming.
In general, I like my bathhouse. Minimum warm-up short terms, fresh air, warm dry floors. The problem of mustiness, rotting floorboards and cold floors is completely solved.
Floor in a washing bath: types and installation
Proper organization of the floor in the washing department of the bathhouse is the key to its long-term and uninterrupted operation. All about the types of floors, their installation and the most common mistakes read our article.
- Wooden floor installation
- Types of wooden floor
- Non-spill floor
- Protecting the floor from water
- Errors during arrangement
The washing room (sink, washing room) is the main room in any Russian bathhouse. This is where visitors spend most of their time between short runs to the steam room. Significant quantities of water are constantly flowing in the washing room, which means it must be equipped to the highest standard. Maximum attention should be paid to the floors. Throughout the year, they are exposed to aggressive moisture and strong temperature changes. Depending on the choice of floor type and the quality of its installation, the washing room will be either warm and comfortable, or cold and uncomfortable.
Features of the floor in the washing bath
Every little detail in arranging a washing room should be carefully considered. There is a list of features characteristic of this particular area in the bathhouse. Here the floor is given the closest attention, since excessive humidity constantly exposes it to rapid destruction. In addition to moisture, the floor in the washing room is constantly affected by sudden global temperature changes.
In this regard, floors must fully comply with all the requirements put forward for them:
- Dry quickly;
- Resist sudden thermal shocks;
- Easy to pass air;
- Have an acceptable coating temperature;
- Do not create drafts;
- Have normal ventilation.
Installation of a concrete floor in a washing bath
Bathroom floors are often installed using a concrete screed, since the installation of such a floor is considered the fastest and most trouble-free. The only difficulty in this matter is organizing the drainage. In a washing bath, a concrete floor can be constructed in three common ways: screed on the ground, on a wooden floor, on a concrete floor. Any of these methods has a place to be, but at the same time it has some more or less significant disadvantages.Traditional floor screed in a washroom
Traditionally, the concrete floor in the washing room of a bathhouse is arranged as follows:
- First of all, you need to thoroughly compact the soil.
- Then pour a layer of gravel 15 cm thick. Instead, you can use broken brick or crushed stone. Thus it turns out ready base for the first layer of screed.
- Pour the first layer of concrete. Remember that, unlike wooden floors, in concrete floors the angle of inclination is formed already at the initial stages.
- In rooms with small area The screed is poured in one stage. If the area is large, wooden guides are laid on the floor, and then the resulting strips are poured over it. In any case, a concrete floor can be called the most durable, durable and practical option.
- The most important stage in installing a concrete floor is creating an insulating layer. An insulating cushion is extremely necessary because it protects the floor from freezing during the cold season and, accordingly, saves heating resources. Therefore, after the first layer of screed has completely hardened, the floor is covered with a layer of expanded clay no thinner than 7 cm.
- Metal reinforcement is laid on top - a reinforcing mesh to enhance rigidity and strength.
- After this, lay the next layer of screed and carefully level it with the rule.
- A high-quality leveled screed will work perfectly as a finishing coating. If you want to make the floor more aesthetically pleasing, you can cover it with beautiful non-slip tiles.
Warm floor in the washing compartment of the bathhouse
Despite a decent layer of insulation, a concrete floor will never be pleasant to the touch. A cold concrete surface often annoys bathhouse owners during the winter season. In order to eliminate this drawback, a “warm floor” system is used. As a rule, electric, water or infrared heating is placed under the finishing layer.
For the washing area, it is optimal to install a system of warm water floors, powered from a heating device for the general water supply in the bathhouse. Installing a water floor is not much different from installing an electric one. The only difference is the thickness, commensurate with the height of the pipes being laid.
IN lately Continuous filling of floors with 3D images is increasingly being used, ideal for washing baths.
Concrete flooring is the least common type, as it involves the use of concrete slabs. This option is not very popular in the construction of small buildings.
Installation of a wooden floor in a washing bath
Do-it-yourself wooden floors in washing baths are being installed more and more often due to its many advantages, such as ease of installation, attractive appearance, aesthetics and the special unique smell given off by wood when heated.Types of wooden floors for a washroom
There are two popular types of wooden floors:
- Leak-proof. Structures made of tightly laid boards with a certain angle of inclination that facilitates the flow of water into a special hole.
- Leaking. A covering consisting of boards laid with gaps to drain water.
Pay attention! Wooden floor in a washing bath it must be laid at an angle for natural water drainage. Ideally, the slope should be in two directions from the center.
Wooden non-spillable floor for washing bath
This design is not removable, therefore, before installing the wooden floor in the washing compartment, it is necessary to organize ventilation system. The base for a wooden non-spillable floor should be installed with a slight slope to allow natural water drainage. It is also necessary to equip a water receiver and a ditch for its discharge into the sewer.
Installation of a wooden non-leakage drain is carried out in several stages:
- The logs are mounted on top part foundation.
- Waterproofing is laid on top, carefully sealed with sealant.
- Layers of insulation are tightly laid between the joists.
- Waterproofing and vapor barrier film are re-laid on the insulating layer.
- The next layer is to prepare a subfloor with a slope for drainage in the desired direction.
- The finished subfloor is covered with a continuous layer of polyethylene. The result is a structure that looks like a huge container with a ladder for draining water.
- At the end, the top layer of a non-spillable wooden floor is installed.
Wooden pouring floor in the washing area of the bathhouse
Regardless of the type of foundation (strip, pile, column, etc.), a poured wooden floor can be installed with your own hands. This design is completely simple and does not require special construction and repair skills. At the beginning it is created concrete base, on which logs are attached to hold the plank subfloor. The boards are laid at a distance of 6-8 mm for unhindered flow of water into the receiver. From the water intake into the underground, all the water goes down the pipe into the sewer.
In most cases, poured floors are removable. At the end of the procedures, the structure is removed and taken out to dry. And since this type of floor is completely impossible to insulate, it is used only for those baths that are used exclusively in the warm season.
There is another significant drawback of such floors: the top flooring quickly loses its performance properties, since protection from moisture does not apply to it. Thus, wooden floor I have to replace it every hour. It is equally important to avoid the formation of drafts through the pouring floor. To do this, the underground and drain must be organized in the correct way.
Arrangement of poured wooden floors is carried out as follows:
- First, determine the type of soil under the washing compartment. If the ground is loose, dig a hole no deeper than 0.5 m.
- The bottom and edges of the pit are compacted tightly and covered with a mixture of fine crushed stone, sand and gravel. The thickness of the layer should exceed 2-3 cm. Thus, a filter for waste water is organized.
- For clayey and swampy soil, a hydraulic structure for a drainage system is created: they dig a pit under the washing pit, from which a pipe is laid towards the sewer at a slope to drain water.
- The next step is to install the logs onto which the wooden plank structure is attached.
Protecting the floor in the washing bath from water and dampness
A bathhouse is a zone for which moisture, steam and dampness are completely natural things. Therefore, waterproofing in such a room is very necessary and important. Thermal insulation materials lay only on a layer of waterproofing. This time they will be able to last longer.
In addition, special antiseptic treatment with various protective agents is required. Otherwise, the floors will forever become susceptible to fungal infections, especially if they are made of wood. Any underground space, partitions, boards, logs must certainly be treated with a reliable antiseptic and moisture-repellent composition, which can be easily found in any building materials store. Ideally, the treatment procedure should be carried out at least 2-3 times after several hours.
If, for certain reasons, at the stage of construction and arrangement of the bathhouse, the treatment and installation of waterproofing was not carried out, you can take a number of actions that will help prevent disastrous destruction caused by dampness and moisture:
- Any wooden components of the floors must be carefully dismantled and left in the sun until completely dry.
- Then all areas that have rotted should be cut off, and nearby areas should be cleaned.
- Afterwards, you need to treat all elements with antiseptic agents and dry them again.
- At the end, it is worth covering each board with wax or water-repellent and installing them in their places.
Mistakes when arranging the floor for the washing compartment in the bathhouse
When arranging the floor in the washing department of a bathhouse, you should not overlook any shortcomings or oversights. Subsequently, they will lead to the need for dismantling and alterations. If the recommendations are not followed, novice craftsmen risk making a number of mistakes.
Some of them are more common than others:
- It is unacceptable to skimp on insulating materials. It is not recommended to lay too thin a layer of thermal insulation or replace the vapor barrier membrane film with ordinary polyethylene film.
- We must not forget about the extremely important vapor barrier layer. There is no way to do without it.
- Finishing floors with washable smooth tiles is unacceptable. Such material in company with high humidity may cause unwanted falls.
- The use of any plastic components in the installation and finishing of washroom floors is prohibited.
- The lack of a ventilation system is a big unacceptable mistake that entails negative consequences for the entire room.
Be that as it may, everyone can make mistakes, especially in such a complex and labor-intensive process. The main thing is to recognize and correct them in time. This way the floor in the washing room will be reliable, durable, durable and safe. Author: editors of TutKnow.ru
Shower floors in the bathhouse
I always wanted to build a bathhouse, I read a lot of literature, but I didn’t quite understand what poured floors are, why they are needed, what they are, how to lay them and care for them.
Stepan (01/17/2012)
You are doing the right thing by deciding to find out all the necessary information about building a bathhouse in advance. This will help you not only stay informed, but also navigate the required materials and expected work. In addition, if you understand the peculiarities of construction, you will always be able to control the workers, notice and point out the disadvantages to them, and warn them in time against making mistakes. For competent construction, you should know quite a lot of features of building construction. So, it wouldn’t hurt to learn about the features of laying screed and flooring.
Shower floors are usually installed in a traditional Russian bathhouse. They are made from wooden floorboards, which are laid on wooden logs. Gaps are left between the floorboards through which water flows under the bathhouse, that is, into a hole specially dug for this purpose under the bathhouse or next to it.
Among the advantages, it should be noted that it is pleasant to walk on wood, it is not cold, it is natural. With proper use and regular ventilation, a wooden floor will remain aesthetically attractive and comfortable for use for a long time. However, many today are inclined to believe that better floors Do not make them pouring, since it is quite troublesome to constantly change them, and there is a high risk of ruining the lower level of the bath, which is difficult to restore later. The main disadvantages of such floors are their rapid deterioration, especially if the underground is poorly ventilated.
If you have the opportunity to carry out communications, then it is better to install a classic insulated slab with a porcelain stoneware coating, perhaps even heated. However, if this is not possible, and your bathhouse is “independent” of modern amenities, then you need to do the following - create an “eternal” pouring floor. The main task is to eliminate the main disadvantages of this type of floor - rotting floorboards and lower bath crowns, but maintain its main purpose - draining water from the floor surface.
To do this, create a reliable flow of water in a direction convenient for you, ensure the collection and removal of water from the underground space outside your bathhouse (you can use special gutters), and do not forget about installing high-quality and reliable ventilation underground space.
Those people who have at their disposal suburban area, traditionally there is a desire to build your own bathhouse. This task is quite complex and troublesome, but quite doable. In order to carry out all the large-scale work correctly, you will have to “shovel” in advance a lot of information about the construction of this building and the installation of all necessary communications in it.
One of the first specific questions that arises when planning a building will be - how to make a floor in a bathhouse with a drain? To install such a structure, it is necessary to consider the installation of bath floors, the installation of a drain siphon, the water drainage scheme, the choice of basic materials and some other nuances that will help make the work easier.
Requirements for floors in the bathhouse
When constructing a bathhouse, special attention should be paid to the floor structure, since it bears the main “wet” load of this “narrow-profile” structure. The main task in arranging bath floors, after their strength, is a complete and unhindered outflow of water. The long-term operation of the entire structure directly depends on the correct installation of the drainage system and drainage pipes. It is this factor that affects the wear and tear of all layers of the floor and the possibility of destructive putrefactive processes occurring in its wooden elements.
When installing floors in a bathhouse, different schemes and technologies are used using modern waterproofing materials or relying on old proven ones traditional methods. If you decide to handle this work yourself, then it is worth considering several options that will help you decide on the complexity and installation and the characteristics of a particular structure. In the absence of experience in the art of construction, it is recommended to choose the most reliable, simple, affordable and proven method of drainage installation.
But, no matter what option you choose, the floors must meet the general criteria that determine the normal functioning of the bathhouse and the comfort of visitors:
- The floor must have a sufficiently hard and non-slip surface, both dry and wet.
- The floor surface should be warm, especially in cases where it is planned to use the bathhouse year-round.
- Floors should be easy to clean and dry, as in any sanitary and hygienic room.
- The key condition is the mandatory presence of a system for rapid water drainage, in order to avoid the development of unwanted microflora and the appearance of an unpleasant odor in the bathhouse premises.
Variety of designs for bath floors with drain
The design of the floor and the arrangement of drainage in it directly depend on what material it is planned to be constructed from, and how the bathhouse is planned to be used.
Floors in bath rooms mounted from boards, concrete or combined from several materials.
For any type of floor, a water outlet is prepared in advance - this can be a sewer pipe connected to a certain area of the room, or a drainage hole dug directly under the bathhouse into which drainage is poured. The floor is almost always arranged at a slope towards the drain, and only in one case can it be made level - when a leaky light covering for a summer bath is provided.
If a sewer drain pipe is installed for drainage, it is located in one of the corners or in the center of the floor of the room. Another option for draining is to slope the surface towards one of the walls, along which a kind of gutter is arranged, which also runs at a slope to the drain hole, to which the sewer pipe is already connected.
It is quite difficult to install a plank floor on a slope, but if it is planned to cover it with planks, then you can turn to the combined option. It includes a subfloor in the form of a concrete screed made at a slope, into which a sewer pipe is embedded. A level flooring of the leaking floor is installed on top of the screed. Water, penetrating between the boards onto the slopes of the subfloor, will rush along them to the drain hole and freely go into the pipe.
The combined floor can be called the best option, since it fully complies with all the above criteria of reliability and comfort, especially since it is quite possible to lay insulation material, which, with proper waterproofing, will not come into contact with moisture.
This type of bath floor is quite simple to implement and can be classified as an inexpensive design. To install such a structure, lumber of the first or second grade will be required. The flooring consists of smooth, without locks, well-planed boards, fixed to the floor beams, at a distance of 5 ÷ 7 mm from each other. Thus, there are gaps between them through which water flows out.
In this case, it is quite possible to do without installing sewer pipes, and under the floor, which is raised from the ground by 500 ÷ 550 mm, a good drainage layer of crushed stone or expanded clay and sand is laid, going deep into the ground by about 500 mm.
Typically, a bathhouse with such a floor covering is built on a summer cottage for use only in the warm season, since the leaking floor will quickly cool down the premises and in this case it will not be possible to obtain a good steam room effect at low temperatures outside.
If you plan to use a bathhouse all year round, then a leaking floor will also work, you just need to use the one already mentioned above combined option when a concrete screed is placed under the floor boards. With this option, it is better to make the wooden flooring removable so that it can be taken out in parts outside, dried and ventilated.
Installation of leaking floors
To know what kind of leaky floors there may be and how to install them correctly, you should consider the processes step by step.
First option
Installation of this type of floor can be called the simplest, but quite labor-intensive. Drainage begins at the stage of constructing the foundation, which can be strip or columnar. The base under the walls is raised to a height of 500 ÷ 550 mm.
If a strip foundation is being built, then it is necessary to install ventilation holes in its walls at a height of 250–300 mm.
If a strip foundation is used, then “vents” - ventilation holes - must be left.
Fragments of the ventilation pipe for these purposes are embedded during the pouring of concrete into the formwork.
When installing a leaking floor, the drain is installed underground. To do this, a small pit is dug in its center, 600–700 mm deep if a sewer pipe is installed in it, and up to one and a half meters deep, provided that water is drained directly into the ground. The second option is only possible if the soil at the site where the bathhouse is built is loose, with a high sand content.
On the surface of the underground soil, a slope is formed towards the pit, where water should collect and go into the prepared drainage or into the sewer pipe. Any foundation with this method of water drainage must be thoroughly waterproofed - usually used for this process bitumen mastic and roofing felt.
If a strip foundation is being installed, then the underground space, made on a slope, must be concreted or at least a very dense embankment made of crushed stone. When installing columnar foundation Usually they make do with drainage pads around the supports.
The work takes place in the following sequence:
- If a drain pipe is being laid, then after the foundation pit has been dug, a hole is dug in the middle of the underground space.
- Next, a trench is laid from its bottom through which a pipe is laid that drains water into a sewer or drainage pit. The pipe is installed at a slope of 3 ÷ 4 degrees - the height difference is about 5 cm per linear meter of length.
- If the drainage pit is located directly under the floor, then the pit under it should be deeper, and a sand cushion 150 ÷ 200 mm thick is placed on its bottom and then compacted, and on top of it - a layer of crushed stone 350 ÷ 400 mm thick.
- After the pipe is laid or the drainage pit is completed, a foundation is erected, which must be waterproofed.
- Next, along the perimeter of the underground, the soil is removed with a slope of 10 degrees from the walls or foundation pillars towards the pit.
- Then the slopes of this slope can be covered with crushed stone, which must be well compacted, or a reinforced screed is installed over the entire plane. To do this, a reinforcing mesh with cells of about 80×80 mm is laid on top of the crushed stone. A fairly dense concrete solution is prepared, poured, leveled in compliance with the slopes, and then smoothed and ironed.
- If it is necessary to reduce the cost of constructing a structure, then instead of concrete mortar to form slopes on top of crushed stone to retain water, a clay castle can be made. It is moistened and kneaded thickly, and then laid out in a thickness of 80 ÷ 100 mm and leveled well, and as it dries, smoothed, moistening with water.
- After the drain and pit are ready, a strapping belt and floor beams pre-treated with antiseptic impregnation are installed on the foundation walls, covered with waterproofing material. The lower crown beams are attached either to a metal strapping belt (if it is provided for in the foundation design), or using embedded elements - anchors, studs, etc. The connection of the crown and floor beams can be different - using metal corners, cutting, etc.
- Floor boards are mounted on the floor beams at a distance from each other of 5 ÷ 7 mm, which must have a thickness of at least 20 mm. The thickness of the boards is selected depending on the distance at which the floor beams will be laid.
Table of the ratio of the sizes of floor beams, their installation spacing, and the thickness of the flooring boards:
Board thickness, mm Floor beam pitch, mm Board length, mm Beam cross-section, mm Step support pillars, mm Beam section size
| 20 | 300 | 2000 | 60×110 | 1000 | 50×80 |
| 24 | 400 | 2500 | 70×150 | 1200 | 50×90 |
| 30 | 500 | 3000 | 80×150 | 1500 | 50×100 |
| 36 | 600 | 3500 | 80×160 | 2000 | 60×110 |
| 40 | 700 | 4000 | 100×180 | - | - |
| - | 5000 | 150×200 | - | ||
| - | - | 6000 | 180×220 | - |
Sometimes the boards are not nailed to the floor beams, but are fastened together with timber and laid on top. The boards are assembled into panels in such a way that the fastening bar is located between the floor beams. This is done so that it is possible to periodically take the gratings outside for proper drying.
Second option
Another, even simpler option, but which is only suitable for a summer bath, is to install a waste pit in the entire underground space, between the foundation pillars. It is completely filled with drainage, consisting of a sand cushion, covered on top with a layer of crushed stone or a mixture of these building materials.
In this case, water flows freely over the entire surface of the underground. Crushed stone breaks its flows, and sand plays the role of a filter that will absorb and drain it into the natural soil drainage layer. The depth of the pit should be about 450 ÷ 500 mm, and the backfill should be at least 350 ÷ 400 mm thick.
Sometimes, instead of a sand and gravel cushion, a waterproof tray is placed under the floor, which is mounted with a slope towards a drainage hole or ditch located next to the bathhouse, where the water will be drained. The pallet can be formed from several layers of roofing felt, which are hot glued together using bitumen mastic.
Third option
This option can be used in any bathhouse used all year round, since it provides floor insulation. Its installation is more complicated and will require the use of a considerable amount of materials.
- Work on this floor option also begins when building the foundation. The drainage pipe is laid through the underground part of the foundation wall at a slope of 30 degrees in cesspool or, if possible, connect to the central sewer system. The pipe is buried in the ground below the freezing layer by 100 ÷ 150 mm.
- The cesspool can be built from bricks laid at a distance of 50 mm from each other, from concrete rings in which holes are drilled or punched to drain water into the ground. And the simplest option is from old car tires.
The size of the pit must be calculated depending on how intensively the bathhouse will be used.
- Before burying the ditch where the pipe is laid, it is recommended to fill it with expanded clay, which will serve as insulation and prevent the water in the pipe from freezing in winter.
Then the trench is filled with soil, which must be carefully compacted.
Video: example of laying a sewer pipe from a bathhouse being built
- Further work is carried out underground. In the area where the drain will be located and where the drain pipe is connected, a pit is made. After it is lined with brick and plastered, it should have a size of approximately 250 × 250 mm, and its depth should be 300 ÷ 400 mm. The walls of the pit should rise to the level of the rough concrete floor of the structure.
- The pipe is embedded in one of the walls of the pit, then covered with soil.
- Then, backfill is made along the entire perimeter of the floor in the underground space around the pit. sand and gravel mixture, with the help of which they begin to form a slope for drainage on rough floor. This layer needs to be compacted well - for this it is moistened with water.
- An insulating layer consisting of concrete mortar mixed with foam plastic crumbs is applied to the gravel mixture, or the entire surface is laid out with polystyrene foam slabs 30 ÷ 50 mm thick, maintaining a slope.
- Next, it is necessary to waterproof the joints of the wall and the formed floor of the room. Roll material laid on the floor in a strip of approximately 200 mm and raised to the walls by 500 mm. For waterproofing in this case, roofing material is best suited.
- It is recommended to lay a reinforcing mesh on top of the foam and waterproofing, which will make the subfloor stronger and more durable.
- The mesh is filled with a leveling screed made of concrete mortar - its thickness must be at least 50 mm. All work is carried out taking into account maintaining the slope angle from the bathhouse walls to the pit. The screed must be perfectly flat, since it will then be decorated with tiles or other finishing materials.
- The finished screed can be treated with deep penetration waterproofing impregnation, laid with ceramic tiles or covered with liquid rubber or glass.
- After this, a water seal is installed in the pit.
- The top of the pit is covered with a metal mesh to collect large debris.
- A removable, leaking wooden flooring is installed on the finished floor, which is convenient because it can be lifted and taken out for drying, while the concrete or tiled floor underneath can be put in order at this time.
In this diagram, all layers of the insulated pouring floor are clearly visible. The only point that is not indicated on it is the reinforcement of the screed.
1 – Bath wall with internal lining.
2 – Vapor barrier layer on the walls.
3 – Waterproofing layer at the junctions of the wall and floor. This material is needed precisely in these places, since moisture that gets into them takes much longer to dry out. Ruberoid used for waterproofing covers and rounds the joint.
4 – Concrete foundation.
5 – A backfill layer of sand-gravel or crushed stone-sand mixture.
6 – Insulation layer.
7 – Subfloor screed.
8 – A layer of ceramic tiles, topping impregnation, a coating of liquid rubber or glass - these materials make the surface smoother, and water drains well along it, and they also additionally waterproof all layers of the floor.
9 – A drain pipe that drains water from the pit into the sewer.
10 – Leaking removable floor.
11 – A grid installed on the pit hole to retain large debris.
12 – A water seal that prevents cold air and unpleasant odors from entering the room from the sewer pit.
13 – A pit for receiving flowing water and directing it into the drain pipe.
The bathhouse foundation needs a special approach.
The specifics of the operation of the bathhouse impose special features on the design of the base of this structure. Many useful information on this issue is posted in a special article dedicated to the construction bathhouse foundation with drain.
Leak-proof wooden floor
Leak-resistant wooden floors are more difficult to install. Its design consists of two plank layers - “black” and “white” floors. The latter is arranged at a slope towards the drain. Insulation is installed between these two layers, and a sewer pipe and drain ladder are installed through the entire thickness of the structure at the lowest point of the slope.
To cover this type of floor, you will need a good first-grade tongue-and-groove board with tongue-and-groove locks, made from wood with low hygroscopicity, for example, oak, but high-quality pine is also quite suitable. Oak has a high structural density, due to which moisture penetrates minimally into the thickness of the wood of the boards, and pine has good resin, which also inhibits the absorption of water into the material.
In this design, the boards are installed tightly to each other, and the coating should not have even minimal gaps. Water flows along the floor plane directly into the drain hole.
If you choose just such a floor, then the bathhouse needs very good ventilation, since the wood must be able to dry completely. After each use of the bathhouse, the doors to the premises must be opened for ventilation.
Installation of insulated non-leaking floor
- The drain pipe in this design is also mounted when constructing the foundation, and its pipe rises to the desired height, which should be approximately 50 mm below the white non-leaking coating.
- Next, the underground space is completely waterproofed using roofing felt, which is laid on soil foundation and the walls and upper plane of the strip foundation, raised to a height of 450 ÷ 5000 mm.
- On top of the waterproofing material, crown beams and floor beams are laid and secured onto the foundation strip.
- Subfloor boards are fixed to the floor beams at a distance of 50 ÷ 70 mm from each other. In the area where the drain pipe is connected, a hole is cut into the floor for it. round hole the required diameter.
- Next, a drain slope is formed on the rough flooring. For this purpose, bars or boards are used, hewn in compliance with the required slope. Usually the slope is made no more than 5°, the height difference will be about 80 mm per linear meter. A steeper slope may no longer be safe for those washing in the bathhouse.
To accurately achieve the required slope, bars are attached to the walls along the perimeter of the room, which will become an element of the sheathing and mark its highest point. Their height usually varies from 50 to 100 mm.
- Fixed with brackets on top of the mounted sheathing vapor barrier film, it is nailed onto the sheathing and subfloor boards.
- Insulation is laid on the vapor barrier, between the sheathing beams - for this it is best to use extruded polystyrene foam. The material must fit tightly between the sheathing elements - if there are gaps, they are filled polyurethane foam, to avoid the formation of cold bridges.
- The insulation must be covered with waterproofing material on top. His role can be played by an ordinary fat woman. polyethylene film. If you have to lay several of its canvases, then this is done with an overlap of 300 ÷ 400 mm, and the joint is glued together with waterproof wide tape.
- For the drain pipe, holes are made in the insulation and waterproofing. Then waterproofing film secure it to it with waterproof tape, neutralizing the resulting gaps.
- After this, the finished floor boards are fixed to the sheathing, which are assembled into a single plane using tongue-and-groove locks. The material must be processed before installation antiseptic, which will protect the wood from biological decomposition.
At the joints of the ends of the boards, if they have to be made, the floorboards must be tightly fitted to each other.
The best option is to install the boards in such a way that the water drains along the grain of the wood, and not across it. In this case, the material will absorb moisture less, and water will flow into the drain more intensively.
- To install drain ladder It is necessary to measure and cut a hole of the required diameter in the finished floor boards.
- In a non-leaking wooden floor, the drain can also run along one of the walls. In this case, the slope is arranged from one wall to another, and a plastic gutter is installed on the bottom line of the slope, which is also mounted at an angle towards the drain connected to the sewer pipe.
If this option is chosen, with a slope in one direction, then the sheathing under it is done slightly differently - the highest bar is fixed along one wall, the lowest - along the drain groove.
- After installation is complete plank covering, skirting boards are installed on the walls. The gaps around the sewer pipe are sealed with sealant, and the drain hole of the drain is closed with a grate.
Concrete floor
This type of floor is suitable for a bathhouse in all respects, except for one thing - it is cold, even if there is insulation inside the structure, so very often infrared or cable electric floors are laid under the finishing material, on top of the screed.
When installing this flooring option, the sewerage system is laid in advance. The drain can be installed either in the middle of the room or near one of the walls, as well as in a corner. The slope of the floor is made at an angle of approximately 5 degrees, which allows visitors to move comfortably along it and not linger on the surface of the water.
After the screed has been poured and fully matured, it is decorated on top with tiles, the seams between which are sealed with moisture-resistant grout or sealant. Removable wooden flooring, which was already mentioned above, is often simply laid on top of the screed.
Laying a concrete floor in a bathhouse with a slope is a topic for separate consideration in a special publication on our website.
At the end of the article, there is a video about the installation option for a wooden leaking bath floor.
Video: simple DIY bath floor
A hot bathhouse with a good steam room, a waiting room, and a swimming pool—isn’t this the dream of every real man? Building a bathhouse to your liking is not so difficult, if you have the desire.
Before you start construction, keep in mind that mistakes in the work will lead to dire consequences - low quality steam room, which means a ruined vacation and the need to redo the styling. This is especially true for floors in the bathhouse.
The quality of bath floors is of great importance. Due to a seemingly insignificant mistake by the master, all the work may be in vain, and the steam room or dressing room will not be warm enough.
Floors in a bathhouse are usually distinguished by the type of materials. There are wooden and concrete. Both options have their advantages. Wooden floors, in turn, are divided into leaky and non-leaky.
It's up to you to decide how to make the floor in the bathhouse. Wooden flooring is famous for its environmental friendliness and affordability. Leaking floors are the most common construction, popular in villages for construction.
Water through such a floor flows freely through the cracks between the boards and is discharged into the drainage hole under the bathhouse. Of course, installing concrete floors in a bathhouse is much more difficult to implement, and a non-spillable floor will also require some tinkering.
The non-spill floor consists of wooden boards that fit very tightly together. This floor is ideal for both a steam room and a dressing room.
But if your plans include a bathhouse in one of the premises, it is better to give preference concrete floor. It will last a long time and is much more resistant to stress; in addition, for hygiene purposes, it can be covered with tiles and holes made for water drainage.
How to make bath floors
A bathhouse made of timber or a frame bathhouse with your own hands does not require any special frills when laying floors. Of course, if you are building stone bath with several rooms, you practically cannot do without a concrete floor.
If your bathhouse is not like that large sizes, you can get by with a poured wood floor. Don't be alarmed, this type of flooring has many advantages that are not available to other bath floors.
A wooden floor, although not as durable as a concrete floor, is definitely useful. By choosing coniferous wood, such as pine, for flooring, you guarantee yourself not only reliable design, but also the air in the steam room partially purified by pine vapors.
Usually not used very often. However, drying floors between steaming sessions can be quite difficult. This is especially true for non-spillable floors. It does not allow enough air to pass through, which means it is not ventilated. Hence early mold, unpleasant odor and rotting of the floor. In contrast, a poured floor will last longer, because it is ventilated by air from all sides, preventing the accumulation of water on its surface.
Finally, any healthy man can make poured floors in a bathhouse with his own hands, without resorting to the services of craftsmen.
DIY bath floors
When installing a flood floor with your own hands, the main thing is to make the right pit, or drainage tray, where the flowing water falls.
It is necessary to lay the floor on the lower crown, if your bathhouse is made of logs or timber, or on the foundation. First, logs made of strong timber are installed, and boards are laid on them.
There should be small distances between floor boards. You shouldn't push them to the maximum. For the water to drain away, you only need a few millimeters between adjacent boards.
It is important to think about one more point. There should be clear space underneath your floor, meaning the boards should not rest on or be too close to the ground or other mound.
Otherwise, floor ventilation will be poor, which means your floor will not last long.
Prepare in advance the drainage pipe that leads to the drain or cesspool, in depending on the organization in your area. By the way, used water and a sauna pool can also be disposed of there.
Wet clay is laid on top of the gravel, and the walls of the pit are coated with it.
But it’s better if you make the inside of the drain out of concrete. This way you will extend the service life of your bathhouse by literally decades.
Surfaces that are slightly sloping towards the drainage tray are poured with concrete. The slopes are necessary so that the water quickly drains into the pit without remaining under the floor.
From the drainage tray, water enters the pipe and is sent to the well, and as a result you receive quality sauna and a steam room.
Hoods are often used to make air circulation under the floor even more efficient. They are pipes rising from the floor, extending beyond the bathhouse through the wall. With such a pipe, you are definitely not in danger of rotting the fresh floor.
Having built the subfloor, you can begin laying floors in the bathhouse. The boards, well processed with a plane, are laid and nailed to the joists. If during a test flush you hear that water flows freely into the pipe, you have done everything correctly.
Don't forget that the durability of your bath floor will provide competent care for him.
Don't forget to ventilate the steam room after use and don't leave it until the next day.
Ask any remaining questions in the comments or on ours. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss future posts!
Fluid floors are the simplest solution for flooring in traditional Russian baths. The fundamental difference between pourable floors and other types is that water escapes throughout the entire area of the room through small cracks. The further path of the drained water depends on design solutions, we will talk about them below.
Previously, lumber was not considered a scarce and expensive material; during the construction of baths, thick boards and coniferous logs were used. This choice of materials made it possible to guarantee a long service life of the bathhouse, despite the very difficult conditions for wooden structures.
The bathhouses stood for several decades, the structures were rotten - the bathhouse was jacked up, one or two crowns were replaced along with the floor coverings, and the building was used again for several decades.
Modern construction technologies allow us to achieve the same long service life of a bathhouse with significantly lower lumber costs. There is a wide variety of very effective impregnations that reliably protect wood from putrefactive processes.
Let's consider the technology of installing pouring floors for various designs of Russian baths.
Quite common foundations for Russian baths satisfy most developers in terms of cost and performance characteristics. And for flooring and wooden structures, underground spaces are an ideal option. Provide the maximum possible natural ventilation, reduce the likelihood of developing fungal diseases of wood, etc.
Practical advice. When arranging such foundations, take the necessary measures to ensure that the building area of the bathhouse is on a slight elevation, this will ensure that water quickly flows out of the building. This is especially important on heavy clay soils. Do not allow puddles of standing water to appear under the bathhouse.
Step 1. Calculation of quantities and preparation of materials. Measure the length and width of the steam room, find out its area. For covering, use edged boards 35÷40 mm thick, buy them with a small margin. In addition to the boards, you will need a plinth and nails approximately 100 mm long.
Soak the boards with an antiseptic. Impregnate only dry lumber; carry out work in a shaded place and in calm weather. You need to soak it at least twice.
Please note that the boards should absorb the antiseptic and not dry it in the sun.
Floor beams or joists also need to be treated.
It is advisable to lay the floors on beams; if they were not installed during the construction of the log house, they will have to be laid on joists. To do this, you need to do preparatory work.
At least two layers of roofing felt must be placed between the joists and posts. After 10-14 days the logs can be laid. The ends of the logs are fixed to the crowns of the log house with metal corners and self-tapping screws.
Prices for roofing material
roofing felt
Step 2. Cut all boards to size.
To avoid deformation, the length of the boards should be 1÷1.5 cm less than the size of the steam room. Before cutting the boards, check the dimensions of the bath; if the width of the room at the corners is not the same, then you will have to adjust each board separately. It is better to cut with a hand-held electric saw. Before working with any electric tool, check its serviceability and the condition of the cutting element.
Step 3. The distance between the boards should be within one to one and a half millimeters; this width of the cracks is sufficient for rapid drainage of water, and small gaps minimize the negative impact of possible drafts. By the way, you should not be afraid of them; a large number of cracks throughout the entire area of the room do not allow too high a speed of air movement through them.
It is highly advisable to make the cracks the same throughout the entire floor; for this you should use a template. We recommend using ordinary wooden rulers for these purposes. They are perfect in thickness, and the corners of the boards will not be damaged. Place the rulers vertically along the edges of the board being nailed; after fixing the first ruler, they are removed and installed between the next ones.
Place a ruler or other template between the floor boards during installation.
Start laying the boards from the threshold; as a rule, there is a shelf on the opposite wall, under which you can hide an uneven floorboard.
Step 4. Nail in. You need at least two nails for each board; they should be nailed along the edges and only at a slight angle. In this position, the nail passes through several annual rings, which minimizes the risk of cracking of the lumber.
Important. Floorboards, regardless of width, must be nailed to each joist or beam with two nails. Otherwise, they will certainly warp over time, which causes great inconvenience during bath procedures.
If the last board does not fit the rail, measure the exact dimensions and saw off the excess part. That's all with the boards, you can move on to the baseboards.
Installation of floor skirting boards
The profile of the skirting boards does not matter, choose which one you like best. Skirting boards are nailed with nails 30÷40 millimeters long, the specific values depend on its thickness and width.
Prices for different types of skirting boards
Step 1. Take measurements of the steam room around the perimeter. Skirting boards have a standard length of two meters, and most paired ones are wider and longer. This means that the moldings will have to be joined. If in ordinary rooms uneven joints can be sealed with wood putty or colored sealant, then in a bathhouse this method of eliminating errors cannot be used; the putty will quickly fall off. Try to make the joints of the skirting boards in inconspicuous places: behind the stove, near containers with water, under a shelf, etc. Of course, be very careful when cutting the skirting boards; the tool must be sharp and in good working order.
Step 2. Check the corners of the bath, they should all be exactly 90°. File the end of the baseboard at a 45° angle. For even sawing, use a factory-made miter box or make the device yourself.
We recommend cutting with a hacksaw - the cut area is much smoother. Always apply the left plinth to the miter box on the left, and the right one on the right, to the side away from you. Otherwise, instead of an external corner, you will get an internal one and vice versa. If you rarely work with a chair, we advise you to write on its sides where to install the left and right ceiling and floor plinths on the outer and inner corners.
Video - How to join skirting boards
It is somewhat more difficult to cut the baseboard if the angle of the steam room is different from straight. If you do not have enough experience, we advise you to try cutting any slats for the first time. Install them in the right place so that they rest against the walls. Use a pencil to mark where the slats intersect.
From these marks, draw straight lines to the corners, make a cut along the lines. Check what you got. Everything is correct - excellent, repeat the same operations with the baseboard. A large gap has appeared in the gley - think about where you made the mistake, repeat all the operations again, taking into account the error. This does not take much time and will save expensive material.
Step 3. Start nailing the baseboard from the corner of the bathhouse, step back 2-3 centimeters from the cut point, nail the nails at an angle at a distance of 30-40 centimeters.
Step 4. Using the same method, nail the baseboard on all sides of the steam room. Check their position and, if necessary, remove any burrs or lint using sandpaper. If there is a noticeable difference in height at the joints, then first remove them with a sharp chisel, and then correct them with sandpaper.
That's all. In Russian baths, as a rule, the floors are not varnished or painted, but if you really want to, apply a topcoat. Just keep in mind that no matter how durable coatings you use, they will still peel off - the operating conditions are too harsh.
Now let's look at how to make pouring floors in bathhouses on a strip foundation.
If your bathhouse is located on sandstones, there are no problems; you can lay the drain floor using the method described above. The sand will absorb all the water without any problems. If the soil under the bathhouse is clay or loamy, then preparatory work will have to be done. The fact is that the strip foundation forms a closed space under the steam room; the constant presence of water in it has a very negative effect on all the wooden structures of the building. To drain water, a cement-sand screed should be made.
Preparatory work
Inspect the foundation, check for ventilation and service holes in the tape.
Water can be drained into the ventilation holes only if they are located at the required distance from the top plane of the foundation strip. This distance should be at least 20 centimeters. If the holes in your bathhouse are located higher, then you will have to make a special one to drain the water.
What does the vast majority of articles on the Internet offer? Under the steam room, make a screed in the form of a funnel and install it in the middle of the drain pipe. We suspect that this method of solving problems is recommended by those who have not done anything with their own hands. Why? Let's briefly look at this technology and point out its disadvantages.
- Along the perimeter of the steam room, you need to select soil with a smooth depression in the middle of the room, then pour sand in the same way. Disadvantages - a fairly large amount of excavation work, requiring care and numerous checks of the geometry of the recess.
- The drainage pipe should be installed in a funnel. The disadvantage is that you need to dig a separate trench under it, make sure that the proper slope is maintained and that it exactly coincides with the existing hole in the foundation strip. Doing this is not just difficult, but very difficult.
- Make the screed with an inclination towards the center of the funnel. The disadvantage is that it is technically impossible to complete the work in one day; you need to wait until the first half of the screed hardens and only then start concreting the second half. But that's not all. We assure you that such work can only be performed by real professionals. If you only saw the trowel in the photo in the article, don’t even start making a funnel-shaped screed for water drainage. And one more thing. No matter what measures you take, a temporary gap in laying the screed in the middle of the funnel will definitely cause a crack. It is clear where the water will go.
What do we offer? The screed under the pouring floor should prevent water from entering the ground and drain it beyond the perimeter of the bathhouse underground. We offer an option to achieve this task with much less effort and less time wasted. And yet, according to our algorithm, almost anyone can make a screed and drain the water on their own, the main thing is that there is a desire.
Our option - The screed under the pouring floor is flat with a slight slope towards one of the walls of the bathhouse, preferably in the direction where the stove is located. There the temperature is higher and the water dries better. The slope of the screed is within one centimeter per linear meter; for a bathhouse 4 meters wide, it is enough to make a slope of 4–5 centimeters.
Advantages of the method:
- there is no need to engage in labor-intensive and complex from a construction point of view work on laying the outlet pipe. Using a simplified technology, you first need to make the entire screed, then in the lowest place near the wall make a hole in the tape just below the level of the screed. Insert a piece of pipe into the hole and seal the gaps between the pipe and the hole made in the foundation on both sides with mortar;
- The volume of earthworks is significantly reduced. You just need to throw a small layer of earth from one wall to the opposite and level it with a shovel. But this can only be done when there is a special vibrating plate or a reserve of time for natural shrinkage. Of course, then a sand cushion is poured and compacted. Less work?
It is this simple option for preparing an underground for a poured floor that we will focus on.
Prices for vibrating plates
vibrating plate
Step by step instructions
| Step, No. | Description of work | Illustrations |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Decide on a specific water outlet location. It is advisable that it be located behind the stove. But this is not always possible - the water must come out from the side of the bathhouse opposite the facade or into a special storage tank. Structurally, it can be difficult to satisfy two conditions at the same time. | |
| Step 2 | Use a shovel to slope the area under the steam room and gradually remove the soil in small layers. Using a hydraulic level, check the slope; it should be approximately one centimeter per meter of length. Prepare the site taking into account that a sand cushion up to ten centimeters thick will be poured on top. | |
| Step 3 | Add sand and compact it. Level the area with a long lath, sloping towards the water outlet. | |
| Step 4 | Install beacons for the screed. The thickness of the screed is no more than five centimeters; take slats of the same width and install them on a sandy base. Fix the slats in several places with mortar on both sides. Check the position of the slats with a level and a rope. For these works there is no need to maintain high precision, the main thing is that the water drains from the surface. Problem areas can be easily corrected later. If you are in a hurry, sprinkle the mortar near the slats with dry cement and after a few seconds, remove the damp cement from the mortar. Repeat this operation two to three times. Such simple steps will allow you to work with slats in just a few minutes; their stability will be quite sufficient. | |
| Step 5 | Screed using a semi-dry mortar. To make it, you need to reduce the amount of water; when squeezing the solution in your hand through your fingers, no water should appear and at the same time the shape should be preserved. | |
| Step 6 | Level the solution with a lath, remove small depressions and elevations with grout. Continue working in this way over the entire area of the steam room. |
The semi-dry solution allows you to continue work the next day. Wooden slats-beacons do not need to be removed; they will serve as additional preventers from the appearance of cracks in the screed.
Semi-dry screed - photo
Now all that remains is to use a hammer drill to make a through hole in the foundation strip for water to drain. Make it 2-3 centimeters below the level of the screed; the hole should have a slight slope outward. Insert a pipe into the hole, check its position and carefully seal the gaps between the pipe and the hole with mortar.
The next day, check the base for drainage quality. Pour a bucket of water in the highest place and watch how it goes and in what places it lingers. If necessary, correct the plane of the screed and eliminate places where water stagnates. At the drainage section of the foundation, make a small groove with a slope towards the pipe.
Practical advice. In order for the fresh solution to have good adhesion to the old one, there is no need to use expensive mastics. Moisten the problem area well with water, pour a thin layer of cement and thoroughly rub it over the surface with a brush.
That's all, now you can lay the flooring using the technology described above.
1. Do not nail the boards under the shelves; after taking bath procedures, place them on their edges
At first glance, it may seem that there is logic, drying should speed up. But that's not true. To make sure of this, it’s worth remembering about ventilation, it doesn’t matter what type it is: or. The amount of air removed from the room depends on the size of the inlet and outlet openings. Removing several floorboards under the shelf seems to enlarge the entry hole, and rightly so. Only the outlet hole remains the same, as much air as came out through it will continue to come out.
The total area of all the cracks in the floor is always greater than the area of the outlet vent; there is no point in removing several boards. This will not improve the drying of the floor, but on the contrary, it will worsen it. If in the normal state air flowed evenly through the cracks throughout the entire area of the room and dried the entire floor area, now it will flow mainly through the expanded hole, and most of the flooring will dry much more slowly.
2. Arrange the flooring from separate panels and remove them after the bath to dry
And we don’t recommend doing this; other than headaches and wasted work, there will be no result. Again, due to the fact that the drying of the panels will be very uneven. There is no need to invent a bicycle, believe the centuries-old experience of our ancestors, provide normal natural ventilation of the underground and high-quality ventilation of the room.
3. Boards need to be planed on both sides
Flooring materials must be passed through a thicknesser; they must be smooth on both sides - smooth boards absorb moisture less.
Now what's really going on. Planed and unplaned boards get wet equally in thickness; getting the pile wet does not have any negative effect. And during drying, the pile, on the contrary, speeds up the drying time of the lumber due to a significant increase in the total surface area. Next, capillary phenomena are triggered, the roughness quickly sucks moisture from the body of the board and speeds up its drying. Planing on both sides does not improve the drying process, but only reduces the thickness of the boards. You should not convert commercial wood into shavings; do not waste time and money in vain.
Video - Bathhouse and floors in it
Video - About the correct design of a Russian bath
So, you are thinking about how and what is best to make a steam room floor from. Great! We will tell you about everything possible options, and then you can choose for yourself. If only because “better” is different for everyone.
Which ones are best to make and from what?
Part of your choice will be determined by , which you laid under the bathhouse. This will be partially determined purpose of the building– a seasonal bathhouse is much less demanding in all respects than one used year-round.
The floors themselves come in two types: torrential And dry.
Pouring the floor is made of boards with slots, which means that the level you walk on “hangs” above another level that receives the flowing water. And this main floor level comes in two types.
More precisely, There are two ways to solve the problem of draining used water: it is either diverted or not diverted, but flows directly under the bathhouse, where it goes into the soil and is distributed by the soil itself.
The last case is demanding soil type, because the water will only drain if the bathhouse is standing on sandy or soils similar in drainage properties.
But if she stands on clay, then even for a summer bathhouse the option is a losing one - the water will not drain, it will stagnate, and the only way to leave it is by evaporation into the atmosphere. If the summer is wet and cold, then there will be problems with evaporation.
But it is assumed that you learned the geology of the site at the time when you were building the house. Therefore, you can choose both the appropriate type of floor for the bathhouse and the appropriate type of floor.
Let's go back to torrential semi. Under the boards with cracks we may have not only open ground, but normal concrete screed with slope, which allows used water to flow to the drain hole leading to the bath sewer. The sewerage system itself is a pipe that is led outside the bathhouse - into a septic tank or into a drainage field.
In addition to the concrete screed, which is costly financially, the owner has the opportunity to make it simple clay castle- the same thing, in fact, the floor is sloping, but not made of concrete, but of clay. We have already said that clay does not allow water to pass through, so it is cheaper to use it.
So, main floor- this is concrete or clay with a slight (just a few degrees) slope towards the drain, which can be located either in the middle or at one of the walls of the steam room. The logs on which the boards will lie are attached to the foundation frame. The boards are placed on top of the joists in a perpendicular direction.
The design of the pouring floor is very simple. If you remember to do outlets in the foundation walls, it is not difficult to ventilate it.
BY THE WAY! Under no circumstances will such a floor be particularly warm. And you need to make sure that during procedures in the steam room, the ventilation from the floor is hermetically sealed.
The advantage for those who decide to make the floor in the steam room pourable is that water will not accumulate in the uneven parts of the wooden part, and therefore there will be no rot. Like in the short video below.
However, timely treatment with the same water-repellent compounds can solve this problem for dry floors.
Now about dry field. Roughly speaking, this is absolutely the same design with a slope and drain that was hidden under the planks of the pouring water. Only in in this case you walk on it, so it is made of wood, the boards of which are tightly fitted to one another so as not to allow water to pass down to the insulation.
May not be used tree, and put it on the floor of the steam room ceramic tiles . And here there are also two options - you can do it under it warm floor, but you can put wooden gratings on top of the tiles (it’s warmer and there’s less chance of slipping).
(The pouring floor can also be insulated - for this, a layer of insulation is placed under concrete screed. Read more below or see a separate section about insulation.)
The best lumber for a dry floor it will probably be tongue and groove board, that is, a board that has a tenon on one end along the long side and a groove on the other side. Such a connection is not only durable, but also quite airtight.
Material, What is the best material to make a steam room floor from, we think? larch– it’s a little expensive, but there won’t be any problems with rotting. And you won’t have to change it anytime soon. After all, larch only becomes stronger and harder from water, and the resins in it successfully resist bacteria and fungi that destroy wet wood.
Bath: draining water in a steam room or sink
Let us explain exactly how the used water drainage system works. It was already said above that to simplify draining water in a steam room or sink, you need to make a small slope floor towards the drain hole.
If the floor is torrential, then you can increase the angle of the lock or screed to 5-10 degrees, because no one will walk on it. If the floor is dry, then you can limit yourself to 2-3 degrees.
Again, the location of the drain hole is a matter of taste. It's normal for someone to have it located in the center, someone prefers to do it against the wall.
IMPORTANT! In any case, be aware that you will have to clean it from time to time. Therefore, access to it should not be hampered - for example, by making a drain under the shelves.
When the floor is torrential, and the steam room and sink are separate but adjacent, they may have space under the floor general, with one output. In this case, two slopes are made and a drain is made between them.
It is worth saying that the drainage device depends on how often the bathhouse is used, how many people steam and wash in it. If it is used rarely, for example, once a week, and only a couple of people wash there, then you can do pit- this is a drainage device, a hole or groove under the bathhouse, filled with stones or sand, or both (layers). But there must be soil sandy.
You can take it outside the bathhouse - to drain or filtration well. The difference is that from the first, waste is periodically pumped out by sewer trucks, while in the second, the liquid is filtered and goes into the soil.
If your home has a large enough septic tank, then the used water from the bathhouse can be sent to it.
How to make: instructions
These instructions depend on what type of foundation you have. If you are making a poured floor, it will be attached to the foundation.
Let's assume that you have tape foundation. Then there is two options: either put the logs directly on the tape, or first place the strapping beam on the tape, and the logs are attached to it. But to lay the strapping beam, you must first provide for the installation of anchors directly into the concrete of the strip that has not yet hardened. The timber is placed on anchors and tightened with bolts.
If the foundation pile or columnar, then it is connected by a grillage, which can be wooden or metal. In both cases, the logs will be attached to the grillage in approximately the same way (taking into account the grillage material) in the previous option.
ADVICE! It is clear that boards are placed on the joists with a gap of, say, 1 cm. But do not forget that you need to leave a gap between the boards and the wall, and its value is 1-1.5 cm.
How to make a concrete screed and drain. You'll have to start by creating drainage system or digging a trench through which water will be discharged either into a septic tank or into a drainage field.
Drainage system under the floor there is a sand cushion, on top of which gravel is poured. However, still on clay soils and that won't help much.
If the water is to be drained, then first you need to completely delete soil layer from the ground, pour 10 cm of sand, then gravel.
Under the future drain you need to do pit- a concrete tank into which used water will flow and leave through a pipe.
The simplest drainage scheme with a pouring floor
The sand and gravel cushion is covered with a layer of waterproofing (roofing felt, for example). Then there is a layer of insulation (often polystyrene foam), on which a reinforcing mesh is laid. Everything is filled with concrete.
A slope is made on top of the rough screed, which converges towards the pit.
This option is suitable for owners of bathhouses with tape or columnar foundation.
Technology doesn't change if you decide to make a waterproofed (dry) floor covered with ceramic tiles.
How to paint
Let's start with the fact that we don't have many options for what types of bathhouse floors there are that need to be painted. Firstly, this tree. Secondly, many times less, this concrete, and besides, not everyone knows about the possibilities of painting it. A ceramic tiles We won’t name it, because it doesn’t need dyeing at all.
How to treat or cover the floor in a steam room
Now about the distinction: it’s worth painting the floor in a bathhouse and a steam room with different compositions if you want to save a little money. Because even though it’s not that hot on the floor in the steam room, preference should still be given to the most humane compositions for human health – acrylic varnishes and paints, for example. This is if the floor is wooden, of course.
However, we would recommend treating the floor in a steam room of a bathhouse or some Finnish impregnation, about which the manufacturer says that it is guaranteed not to slip, or yacht varnish, but with measures against possible slipping.
After all, the main function of floor treatment is to protect it from water. Wood deteriorates from water- rots, cracks. And who wants to change floors regularly? This is not the easiest job. Therefore, I want them to last longer without repair.
Yacht varnish The name itself suggests that it is intended to protect wooden ships from water. A impregnation for wood contain fats that eliminate the wettability of the wood.
In the rest of the bathhouse there is less moisture, more permeability, so you can paint or varnish with any composition you like, and if the bathhouse is visited often, then the composition should contain additive, which reduces its abrasion. Usually this polyurethane or urethane.
Useful video
Almost half an hour of useful information from RusPar:
Well, one more role to follow, only here about mistakes - the floor in the bathhouse is 12-15 cm above the ground, these are just boards that were not protected by anything. As a result, everything rotted:
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Well, now that it has become more or less clear which floors are best made in a steam room, perhaps you will be interested in other materials about its arrangement: what, tips on, steam rooms and theirs, what, what compositions are possible, how and with what walls, floor and the ceiling, in the steam room.
