Floor waterproofing in the bathroom

The bathroom is one of the dampest rooms, both in a city apartment and in a private house. Therefore, the floors in the bathroom, regardless of the material from which they are made, need high-quality insulation, otherwise there may be water leaks through slabs, fungus formation, mold, and gradual destruction of structures.

Types of waterproofing

Materials for waterproofing the floor are:

• Oak with waterproofing impregnation, available in rolls;
• Lubricating in the form of mastics, as well as pastes, liquids on a variety of bases;
• Dry mixtures for dilution with water;
• Penetrating hydroprotection for impregnation of concrete;
• Hydrobearers on rubber or polymer basis.

All types of waterproofing have their own characteristics, which determine the area of ​​their application. In bathrooms, the most commonly used are pasting or coating materials based on bitumen, rubber or polymers.

Waterproofing of the floor with an adhesive method

Rolled materials on bitumen base, with improved polymers, with reinforcing layer of fiberglass or synthetic materials. They are non-floating, requiring heating during laying, and self-adhesive. For the bathroom it is better to use roll materials with a self-adhesive base, since the floating requires the use of a gas burner, which in the apartment is not always convenient and feasible. In addition, when heated, they emit a strong smell of bitumen that does not leave the bathroom for a long time.

Excellent option for waterproofing bitumen-based roll materials

Coating technology for concrete floors with self-adhesive roll materials:

1. The floor is leveled, eliminating cracks, depressions and mounds. The height difference should not be more than 2 cm. Sweep it with a brush and vacuum.
2. The rough floor is covered with a bituminous primer, allow it to dry out.
3. Cut the roll material along the length of the floor, leaving a margin on the walls of at least 15-20 cm on each side.

Lay strips on the floor, overlapping them overlap. The laid roll material is carefully rolled with a solid roller to remove air bubbles and better adherence. Joints are additionally coated with a sealant.

Technology of laying bitumen waterproofing

1. In the joints and around the pipes waterproofing should be laid especially carefully. Pipes must be additionally insulated with rubber seals, and place their adhesion to the waterproofing with a further lubricant sealant.
2. On top of the roll material, once it is laid, it is possible to make a concrete screed, and then - to lay the finish coat. As a decoration of such a floor, tiles are most often used.

The necessity of a screed device increases the laboriousness of the bonding method of floor waterproofing in the bathroom, but in general this method is cheaper. If the bathroom is made with warm floors, and the device of a screed with a thickness of at least 5 cm is implied in any case, the waterproofing of the floor in the bathroom by the oklechnym way is more expedient. In order to increase its strength, a reinforcing polypropylene fiber can be added to the screed.

Cladding floor waterproofing

With the development of technologies and the appearance on the market of a large selection of materials for the floor waterproofing of the floor, it gradually replaces the pasting. It is performed with the help of mastics of various compositions: bitumen-polymer, bitumen-rubber, cement-polymer. The composition of mastics includes various fillers and plasticizers, due to them increases its elasticity and strength. Fillers in the composition of mastics can be in the form of fibers or crumbs. Most modern mastics also contain components that prevent the appearance of fungus and mold.

Most manufacturers also produce primers that have increased adhesion to the floor and mastic on the same basis. When performing waterproofing, it is best to follow the advice of the manufacturer of mastic and use the primer specified by it.

Technology of coating waterproofing on concrete floor:

1. Preparation of the floor when applying coating insulation is required minimum - it is enough sweep and remove debris. Wet cleaning is not recommended, it is better to thoroughly vacuum the floor.
2. The floor is primed with a roller to completely impregnate its surface. If the floor is highly absorbent, it is covered two or even three times. Special primers based on polymer base not only improve the adhesion of mastic, but also create an initial layer of waterproofing.
3. Angles and joints with walls are necessarily glued with a special tape with sealing properties. Rubber seals are put on pipes, joints of a floor with them also glue a tape.

Application of coating waterproofing on concrete floor

• Mastic is bred according to the manufacturer's recommendations. In consistency, it looks like a warm clay. Apply the mastic conveniently with a hard roller, and in knocks and corners - with a brush. For good waterproofing, the mastic is applied to walls, to a height of at least 20 cm.

Mastics dry for about a day. During this time, you can not walk on the floor, as well as to allow it to get dust, moisture, foreign objects. Dry waterproofing can be covered with a finishing coat - tiles or granite.

Waterproofing of concrete floors in the bathroom

The floor waterproofing in the bathroom with a mastic coating on bitumen or cement-polymer base has a small thickness, while it is durable and reliable. However, it is suitable only for concrete floors. If the coatings in the house are wooden, such a waterproofing may not be sufficient.

In this case, they are used with two-component rubber-based formulations. They consist of a directly liquid rubber( liquid rubber) and an activator, which is necessary for its solidification.

Waterproofing technology for wooden coverings

1. Preparing a wooden floor for a coating requires some effort and cost - because the rubber composition should not penetrate it, otherwise its consumption will increase dramatically. The rough floor is cleaned of dirt, lay on it lags, vapor barrier film and insulation plates. As a heater can be used expanded polystyrene, it forms a hard smooth surface. The joints between the plates and lags are sealed with a sealant. If a mineral mat is used as a heater, a layer of waterproof plywood must be laid over it.

Preparing for waterproofing the wooden floor

• Mix the liquid rubber with the activator and quickly apply it to the floor with a roller, carefully smeared the knocking of the floor and the wall.
• Wait for the drying of the liquid rubber and evaluate the quality of the waterproofing - its surface should be smooth and homogeneous. If necessary, a second layer is applied.
• The final coating is carried out in the usual way. It should be noted that adhesion of conventional tile adhesive to rubber compounds is usually not enough, therefore it is necessary to perform screed with the use of reinforcing mesh.

This method of waterproofing can be used not only for wood coatings, but also for concrete. The quality of the waterproofing in this way makes it possible to use it even in particularly wet rooms, including the pool and the washing compartment of the bath.

The final stage of the wooden floor waterproofing

When carrying out waterproofing of the floor in the bathroom by any of the above methods, it is important to follow the recommendations of the material manufacturer, especially regarding the drying time of the coating. Insufficient soaking of waterproofing can lead to its cracking after finishing works.