Waterproofing the floor in the bathroom under the tile

The bathroom has the most difficult microclimate: constant dampness and warmth. This contributes to the appearance of mold and mildew on the surfaces. It also often happens that water in considerable quantities enters the entire surface of the floor. In order not to flood the neighbors, it is necessary to waterproof the floor in the bathroom under the tile. It is also necessary to protect other surfaces in the room from excessive dampness, since moisture is destructive for wall ceilings.

Why waterproofing?

Often during the construction and repair, they skip the waterproofing stage for the bathroom and immediately begin laying tiles. This is a very common mistake. Someone does this out of ignorance, someone believes that moisture can not seep through the tiles and seams, and some simply do not know how to protect the floor and walls from the tiles from moisture.

However, it is worth remembering the old folk wisdom: water will find a hole everywhere. It will leak through cracks and chips invisible to the eye, settle in the most inaccessible places, and will slowly but surely harm. Waterproofing will avoid many troubles.

• Waterproofing will prevent water from destroying porous base materials (concrete, foam blocks, cement-bonded particleboards, gypsum-fiber sheets, etc.).
• The waterproofing of the wooden floor in the bathroom requires special attention, because this material is more afraid of dampness than others: it grows moldy, rots, and quickly becomes worthless.
• It will significantly extend the life of the walls and floor of the bathroom themselves.
• Will prevent fungus and mold development.
• It will allow you to keep finishing materials in their original form longer.
• If for some reason a flood occurs in the apartment, then the water will not be able to pass to the neighbors from below - it will be stopped by waterproofing.
• A healthier microclimate is created in the bathroom.

Varieties of waterproofing

The variety of materials protecting from moisture is quite large. It’s hard to say unequivocally what is better to perform waterproofing in the bathroom or for the soul: you need to take into account the many subtleties and nuances. However, everyone can find a moisture-proof material that meets their needs and wallet size. There are several basic ways to waterproof a bathroom:

• Coloring. Mastic on a bitumen and polymer basis is applied to the walls and floor with a brush or roller. The result is a flat surface on which there are no joints and seams. If you try hard, you can achieve almost perfect smoothness. In order for this type of waterproofing to be sufficiently reliable, it is necessary to apply mastic in several layers.

• Coating. In this case, a special mixture is prepared from a solution of sand, cement and special additives for waterproofing, which is applied to the surface with a spatula or trowel. Often the same mixture is used instead of a concrete screed for the floor, because it can also be put in a rather thick layer, which allows you to hide all the mounds and bumps.
• Pasting. With this option, rolled or sheet materials are used. They can be surfaced or self-adhesive: they are heated with a burner or the protective layer is removed from the adhesive base and presses the material to the surface. Externally, this waterproofing resembles materials for the roof: roofing material, bikrost, etc. As a basis, bitumen or fiberglass is used. As a result, after pasting, the floor in combination with the bottom of the walls resembles a trough.
• Fill. A solution is prepared from a special mixture, the composition of which includes such materials as liquid glass or concrete with additives that make it waterproof. Then, the resulting waterproofing is poured and the floor in the bathroom is covered. The result is a monolithic, without seams and joints, layer.
• The use of waterproofing compounds that penetrate into the material and change its structure. They are applied by spray or brush, as a result of which the processed material acquires moisture repellent properties.

• Spraying. In this case, a special moisture-resistant composition is sprayed onto the walls and floor, based on polymers or rubber. Some time after application, it hardens and turns into a dense film that reliably protects from moisture.

Each of the presented methods of waterproofing has its own characteristics that are suitable or not suitable for certain operating conditions. Their characteristics will affect the possibility of use in a particular case, so it is worthwhile to examine in more detail each of the ways to waterproof a bathroom under a tile. Then it will be easier to decide which is better in one case or another.

Coloring

A universal method of waterproofing, equally suitable for walls and for the floor in the bathroom, if desired, it can be used even for the ceiling. One of the easiest methods. Work is carried out in the following order:

1. Mastic is diluted with a special solvent to the consistency of a thick paint.
2. Apply the first layer of waterproofing to the floor and walls (at least 20 cm from the level of the future baseboard), and also on “wet areas” (shower, washbasin, bathtub, near risers, etc.) and 50 cm around them.
3. Dry the 1st layer.
4. Perpendicular to the 1st layer, the second is applied. It is very important to carefully monitor that there are no gaps.
5. Sprinkle still dry mastic with fine sand to improve the adhesion of tile glue.
6. Surplus powder after drying is swept away. Now you can start laying tiles.

Pasting

The waterproofing of the bathroom under the tile should be done using modern materials: it is easy to work with them, they protect the surface well and serve for long, decades. Paste the room as follows:

• The material is rolled out on the floor, letting it rest and straighten.
• Cut out a waterproofing roll into strips. At the same time, it is taken into account that the material should be 20-30 cm on the walls, and the strips should be overlapped by 10-15 cm.
• The treated surface is coated with bitumen or mastic made on its basis.
• Lay out the cut strips.
• Sheets and mastic are heated with a burner. Rubber becomes ductile and mastic becomes sticky.
• Lay the material, if necessary, slam it. In this case, take into account that joints or seams in the corners are unacceptable.
• All compounds are additionally coated with mastic. Waterproofing is ready.

Coating

Coating waterproofing is one of the simplest, safest, and therefore its most popular types. It is very similar to ordinary plaster. The working solution is prepared in a similar way: a ready-made mixture consisting of sand, cement and polymer is purchased additives (usually they are sold in paper bags, packaged in 5, 10, 15 or 25 kg) and mixed in a certain proportion with water. The finished waterproofing solution is applied to the walls with a spatula, “coated” with them. The mixture tightly clogs the smallest pores and cracks in concrete and DSP. The solution can be applied both on the bathroom floor, and on the walls and even the ceiling.

Putty dries day, i.e. the next day you can start laying the tiles, because in this case a concrete screed for the floor is not required. However, when working, it must be remembered that the pot life of the solution is short, it sets in just a few minutes, so all work needs to be done quickly.

Which waterproofing is better?

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It is difficult to say unequivocally what kind of waterproofing for a tile will be optimal in a particular case. For greater clarity, you can compare all methods of waterproofing walls and floors under the tiles in the bathroom.

Type of waterproofing	Positive sides	Negative sides
Coloring	· Takes up little space, does not decrease the volume of the room; · Speed; · Low cost of materials; · Universality; · The layer is smooth and thin, but without joints	Fragility; · Substances with a pungent odor are used for dilution; there is a risk of toxic poisoning during application; · Some time after applying waterproofing, toxic fumes are released; · Can not be used in rooms with "warm floors"; Fragility (easy to damage)
Coating	· Universality; · Strength and durability; · No additional concrete screed is required; · High level of adhesion to glue; · It can level small tubercles and pits on the floor and walls	· Decreases the area of ​​the room, slightly; · A short pot life of the solution, all waterproofing operations must be completed quickly
Pasting	· thin layer; · Reliability; · Waterproofing does not reduce the size of the room; Universality	· Requires additional equipment (burner); · With careless handling, the sheets may break; · Can be laid only in well-ventilated areas where gas will not accumulate; · Weak spot - seams, they require additional reinforcement; · Can be torn or scratched when laying tiles
Pouring	· Very strong and reliable waterproofing; · Ideal waterproofing of the floor under the tile; · No concrete screed is required; · Can align all floor errors	· The floor level rises strongly; · Reducing the area of ​​the room; · Such waterproofing is used only for floors
Waterproof composition	· Ease of waterproofing; · High speed of work; · Can be used on walls, i.e. where water does not stagnate	· Low efficiency (compared to other waterproofing methods); · The material is not suitable for floors
Spraying	· A thin and strong protective layer; · The dimensions of the room do not change; · Material reliably holds water	· Requires careful handling and accuracy when laying tiles, because the resulting film can be torn; · Not in all rooms it is possible to apply; · Special equipment required

As you can see, each material has its own specifics. This must be considered when choosing.

What else to look for when choosing a waterproofing method?

In addition to the specifics of materials, a number of factors and parameters must be taken into account:

• Features of the room, so not all waterproofing methods can be used in small rooms.
• Wall and floor material: concrete, TsSP, GVLV, tree or others.
• In some cases, it is impossible to raise the floor a centimeter, then pouring and putty will not work.

• Features of the technology, if it is planned to carry out waterproofing work on their own. For example, difficulties will arise with spraying, because special equipment and skills are needed to work with it.
• Do not work with toxic materials to allergies and people sensitive to odors.
• The bathroom does not require global waterproofing, everything should be done in moderation.
• How much are the materials and their consumption: repair should be affordable.

Waterproofing the walls and floors of the bathroom under tile - This is not a simple matter, requiring careful attention and careful weighing all the pros and cons.