The main requirements for the floor in the bath are good heat saving, resisting rot, not absorbing moisture, and providing comfort to bare feet. Such a design is easy to organize in a log house. However, modern production does not stand still, and today a steam room can be built according to various technologies, for example, on a wireframe. What is the difference between the floor in such a bath, how to properly build and insulate it?
In most cases in frame bath build a wood floor. Its main components are boards and logs. Before starting work, it is necessary to correctly calculate the dimensions of each part. But since this task is quite complicated, in private construction it is allowed to use average universal values, not forgetting to add 10-15% to the stock.
To create a finishing floor in a frame steam room, it is recommended to take boards 3-4 cm thick, timber 10 × 15 cm. Subfloor logs are made of boards, the thickness (in mm) of which should be proportional to the gap between the logs (in cm). For example, if the latter is 50 cm, then the recommended thickness of the boards is 40-50 mm.
When choosing wood, it is better to use durable hardwood or softwood. The material must be thoroughly dried, free of cracks, tears and other external imperfections. Boards are recommended to be selected from the same cut, as this will ensure the same "behavior" of the material after installation.
Creating a floor in a frame bath
In most cases, activities are carried out based on the technology of organizing the floor on the ground, but with minor changes.
Lag installation
The logs are fixed on the supporting frame racks or on pre-installed supporting parts.
In the first case, installation is carried out on a mortgage beam and frame racks. Work begins after treating the base with molten bitumen, as well as impregnating the log with an antiseptic solution. The latter are made from boards 5 × 20 cm.
- First, the extreme logs are fixed, using 8 self-tapping screws on each edge. The length of the fasteners should be enough to penetrate them into the wood by 5-6 cm;
- Then you need to make sure that the log is evenly positioned and pull a rope between them, along which you can control the installation of the following elements;
- Fix the intermediate logs on the lower crown using metal corners. Use 6 bolts in the shelf adjacent to the embedding beam, 5 bolts in the shelf touching the frame post.
A gap of 2-3 mm must be maintained between the walls of the bath and the lags to compensate for the deformation of the wood.
Rough floor installation
Boards are mounted perpendicular to the lags:
- The first board is fixed to the lags with screws or nails, not forgetting to step back a short distance from the wall. If one board is not enough to cover the entire length of the floor, then the second is laid in such a way that the docking takes place strictly on the log;
- Then fix all subsequent elements. The latter is mounted in accordance with the dimensions of the remaining gap. Longitudinal sawing is carried out using a circular saw.
The fixing of the boards is carried out as tightly as possible when organizing a non-spill floor and with small gaps - when creating a pouring one.
Finishing floor installation
The arrangement of the finished floor allows you to perform waterproofing and ensure uniform distribution of loads. Installation work includes several stages:
- Lay the logs perpendicular to the rough flooring using a beam of 5 × 10 cm. The distance between the elements is 60-80 cm. The height of the log should be such that a ventilation gap of 5 mm is provided between the insulation layer and the finished floor;
- On top of the log, fix the waterproofing material with a construction stapler with a slight overlap on the walls;
- Mount the thermal insulation and close it with another layer of vapor barrier;
- Lay the boards (laying scheme is similar to subfloor installation) using tongue and groove material with an attractive appearance.
Important nuance
When arranging a non-leaking floor in a frame bath, it is necessary to remember such an important nuance as the slope towards the drain hole. As a standard, it should be kept within 1-2 cm for each meter of the canvas.
To ensure the slope, U-shaped brackets and adjustable studs are used. Between the walls and the extreme bars leave 4-5 cm, between adjacent logs - 40-60 cm. The logs are fixed in brackets with the necessary slope. Brackets are installed through a gap of 50 cm.
Conclusion
Having finished the installation of a wooden floor in a frame bath, it is recommended to treat it with two layers of drying oil. At the same time, one should not forget that a high-quality design must comply with all technological standards, provide water flow, keep the room warm, be comfortable and convenient.
When starting a simple and not very laborious construction, it should be remembered that floor in frame bath- this is not just a plank covering, but also a drain for water, and a "keeper" of heat in the room. Therefore, counting on the use of the bath all year round, and the floors must be made appropriate: strong, reliable, insulated.
If the bath is being built as a summer bath, then the floor in it can be simpler in execution and much cheaper.
How to lay the floor in the bath. Foundation and drainage pit
The floors in the frame bath are laid on the base - lags that are laid on the foundation. They, or beams, are laid on concrete (brick) pillars present in the strip foundation and must be waterproofed.
Also should be considered that this is not just a foundation, but a bathhouse, so it is necessary to provide a pit for draining water of a sufficient area - usually a lot of water goes out during bathing and a small pit will not be able to absorb it so quickly that it does not have time to stagnate or freeze in winter.
In addition to taking into account the size, it is desirable to equip the pit drainage system, and it is better to concrete its walls, since the constant presence of moisture can provoke collapses and destruction of the pit.
Such requirements are common for floors of different types.
Leaking and non-leaking floors
The floor in the frame bath can be equipped with both leaking and non-leaking types.
The first is budget and very easy to install. But a bath with such a floor is absolutely impossible to use in winter, since it does not hold heat, it constantly cools from under the boards, and there is no barrier between the floor and the ice cushion formed under the bath.
Essence of the leaky floor is as follows: it is constructed from boards, between which a decent-sized gap is left for the speedy departure of water.
no leaking floor will allow you to bathe in the heat and the winter cold. There are no slots in it, another layer of the floor, the so-called draft, is present, there is a slope and a specially equipped drain.
Two types of material are used for arranging bath floors: wood and concrete.
Wooden non-leaking floor. Stages of construction
According to the project, the arrangement of non-leaking floors in the bath should be started even at the stage of laying the log or beams - the foundation of the future floor should not be laid evenly, but with a slight slope (about 100) towards the planned drain.
Between the upper and lower layers of the floor (rough and finish) you need to install a metal ventilation pipe- its presence must also be provided for early stages floor constructions in the bath.
Set of tools needed by the master for construction is very small:
- construction stapler;
- hammer.
List of materials also not too extensive and they are not very expensive:
- bars 30x30 mm;
- several sheets of moisture resistant plywood;
- mineral wool;
- waterproofing film;
- floor boards (exclusively hardwood);
- construction tape;
- nails.
Stages of work:
- The base of the floor, the bars, are nailed to the logs.
- Use as subfloor plywood sheets: they must be butt-nailed to the bars.
- Lay an insulating film layer on the plywood, securing it with an overlapping stapler. Make sure there is not a single gap left. If any remain, they must be sealed with tape.
- Put a layer of mineral wool on the film, it will act as a heater, so there should not be any gaps in it either.
- Make sure that the insulation layer has a minimum thickness of 15-18 mm.
- On top of the mineral wool there should be another layer of film. In this case, it will already be vapor barrier.
- Stuff the top (finishing) layer of the floor. For this, use nails equal in length to twice the thickness of the board. Fit the boards as tightly as possible.
Floor in frame bath cannot be coated with varnishes and paints, because from high temperature and moisture levels, dyes can be toxic and therefore dangerous.
In order for the floor to be pleasant to the feet and exclude the slightest possibility of driving thorns into the feet and bumping into knots, the boards must be carefully processed before the “white” floor is installed.
Bath concrete floor
Rules for laying concrete screed for a bath are somewhat different from the screed in other, less humid, rooms:
- Laying is carried out on an expanded clay cushion, which should not be continuous - it is necessary to provide a place for a pit.
- Expanded clay layer - at least 15 cm.
- Drainage system is a must. It will be ideal if water drainage is provided away from the bathhouse so that the pit is at a certain distance from the building.v
- Be sure to lay a plank floor or tile on the concrete.
Required Tools:
- vibrator for compacting concrete;
- shovel;
- level.
Work materials:
- Rabitz;
- concrete;
- mixture of sand and cement.
Stages of work:
- Lay a concrete layer 5 cm thick, observing a slight slope towards the drain point (check with a level). Leave for a day to freeze.
- After the first layer has hardened, pour expanded clay on it, lay the mesh on top.
- Pour another layer of concrete with tamping, and apply a sand-cement mixture to level it. Smooth the surface with a construction board.
- The top layer of concrete will harden for at least 5 days. After this time, you can do the very top of the floor - lay boards or non-slip tiles.
At the stage of designing the floor surface, consider one nuance that is very important for bathing establishments: the ceramic floor in the frame bath will heat up very much. The tile, becoming hot, becomes uncomfortable - it is impossible to touch it, so as not to get burned. Therefore, if the floor is tiled, then safe wooden gratings should immediately be installed as a necessary bath accessory.
The wooden floor in the bath should be treated twice with drying oil.
Which gender is best?
This question can only be answered by the owner of the bath, based on his own preferences, the expected seasonality of use and material possibilities.
High-quality floor in a frame bath- one that is made in accordance with all technological requirements and provides water flow, heat in the room and comfort for bare feet.
