Why is the floor in the Russian bathhouse cold? Why are there cold wooden floors in the bathhouse, how can we carry out insulation?

The presence of a bath on the territory of a country house or dacha today has become more the rule than the exception. You can choose a suitable standard project for a construction site or develop your own design by resorting to Internet resources or by contacting specialists. At the same time, the requirements for preventing heat losses during the use of such a room and minimizing heating costs remain unchanged. In this regard, any project of a bath room provides for an emphasis on thermal insulation of the walls, ceiling and floor of the room.

Bathhouse on a personal plot

Information about floor insulation

Since ancient times, attention has been paid to warming the floor of the bathhouse. For this, the available materials were used: jute, linen materials and moss. Such heaters did not have properties to counteract fungal formations, did not prevent the rotting of wooden structures, but they retained heat. At present, various heaters are presented in the assortment on the country's construction market. But to keep warm in the bath, they must meet the following requirements:

• the absence of toxicity, the occurrence of which is associated with the high temperature regime of the bath room, and the release of chemical vapors can lead to human poisoning, and sometimes death;
• low hygroscopicity is necessary for using a bath with a critical level of humidity and the inadmissibility of a large amount of time for drying out when the room is cooled;
• the possibility of using in rooms with high temperatures without changing the operational characteristics, volume, properties of thermal insulation;
• during long-term operation, there should be no need for special maintenance of the insulation to maintain its practical properties.

Important! When purchasing insulation for a bathhouse, you must carefully read the technical properties of the material, documents confirming the compliance of the goods with the properties declared by the manufacturer. Information about the use of the selected insulation by builders or other owners of baths will not be superfluous.

Characteristics of materials for floor insulation

Currently, insulation materials have gained popularity, such as: mineral wool, expanded polystyrene, for wooden flooring - expanded clay. Each of the materials is used in specific areas of construction and has the following practical properties:

1. Expanded polystyrene. It is produced in the form of flat slabs of various thicknesses. They are used for thermal insulation of premises with a base floor made of concrete structures (screeds) and wooden floors. The price is commensurate with the quality of the material. At the same time, installation is not difficult - adjusting the plates and changing the size is carried out using a construction knife. But it is not recommended to use this insulation for the bathhouse, because when heated, it can emit chemical fumes that have a detrimental effect on the human body.
2. Mineral wool. It is a "budgetary" insulation. Various samples and varieties of material are presented on the construction market. Effective in application, has a long service life, good fire retardant properties. But it is not recommended to use it in rooms with a high level of humidity, due to the loss of its technical properties by the material under such conditions. In the absence of a suitable insulation, installation is possible only with additional waterproofing.

1. Perlite. Loose material with good thermal insulation characteristics. It is used in the form of a mixture of water and cement, evenly spreading over the surface, followed by the formation of an even concrete screed.
2. Penoplex. It is characterized by a long service life, good thermal insulation properties, it is environmentally friendly, but the installation consists in gluing the slabs to a concrete or similar surface.

1. Expanded clay. Clay mixtures are used for the base of the material. They belong to the category of environmentally friendly compositions with high thermal insulation characteristics, resistant to fire. It seems to be a promising insulation material for bath rooms.

Features of expanded clay

The appearance of expanded clay is an oval granule. It is produced using the clay firing technology at high temperatures. On the market, insulation is represented by a sandy composition or in the form of gravel. Sand with fractions of 0.14 - 5.0 mm is used in the manufacture of building mixtures or as insulation for the ceiling. Gravel (5.0 -14.0 mm) is used for floor insulation, including bath rooms.

The advantages include the following qualities:

Along with other insulation materials, the disadvantages are the need for mandatory waterproofing equipment and a long installation time. However, the preliminary preparation of materials and accessories, the consistent and correct organization of work, minimizes the time at times.

Important! When purchasing insulation from expanded clay granules, it is necessary to calculate the volume of the space to be filled. If this is not possible, then the material must be purchased with a reserve. Remains after insulating the floor of the bath can be used to insulate the attic floors.

Expanded clay insulation technology

Do-it-yourself floor insulation in a claydite bath is carried out in the following sequence:

1. They purchase cement, sand, expanded clay of various fractions, and a vapor barrier material in advance. Prepare accessories for marking, a tool for distributing mixtures, a container for preparing working solutions.
2. Clean the surface of the heated bath floor from the old decorative coating. If it is absent, level the ground and carry out a thorough compaction. The wooden floor is treated with antiseptic agents.
3. To prevent moisture absorption into expanded clay, waterproofing is organized. For this, special materials or a thick polyethylene film are used, the laying of which is carried out with an overlap on the walls of the room above the line for placing the insulation. After the final laying of the insulation, the excess waterproofing is cut to the desired length. The joints of the film are connected using standard tape or in another way.

1. Provide the same height for laying insulation on the floor surface by exposing construction beacons. The technology of their installation is standard, taking into account the height of filling with expanded clay granules not less than 150.0 mm. In this case, it is necessary to provide for a slope of the coating towards the sewer drain.
2. Filling of expanded clay granules is carried out to the level of "beacons" by sequential compaction of the areas. It is allowed to lay expanded clay in packing bags with a violation of its integrity. The gaps are filled with a loose composition.
3. In order to strengthen the expanded clay insulation cushion, reinforcement is carried out with a special mixture, the composition of which includes cement in a ratio of two parts to three sand with water up to 20 percent of the mass. The finished composition is evenly filled in the voids between the granules. This technology assumes additional protection against moisture penetration and strengthens the insulation layer, preventing subsidence. The builders call the mixture "milk".
4. After the "milk" has completely dried, work is started on the formation of a concrete screed, the thickness of which is 30.0 - 40.0 mm. There are no special requirements for the screed.
5. If the flooring is supposed to be made of wooden boards, then the insulation is placed in the niches between the logs with a preliminary laying of a protective polymer film in them.

Important! To proceed to work after pouring "milk" or concrete screed, it is necessary to ensure complete drying of the compositions. Timing varies depending on the temperature and humidity of the room. To speed up the drying process, arrange through ventilation. Lack of ventilation can cause moisture to build up on the main floor covering and shorten its lifespan, while at the same time deteriorating its appearance.

Based on the above information, we can conclude that the point of view of individual owners about the optional insulation of the bath room from the floor is associated with a significant investment of money and time - it is wrong. They will pay off with more than a comfortable pastime in a room with warm floors and a hot steam room. The absence of heat loss will allow you to warm up the bath faster and with less energy, the heat will remain for a longer period. At the same time, work on floor insulation does not imply that the owner has special training - there are enough household skills and tools available in a country house.

The procedure for carrying out work by floor insulation specialists is presented in the video below.

The procedure for floor insulation.

A cold floor in a bath is a common problem when using this room. This situation is explained by the extremely unfavorable operating conditions of the coating and, accordingly, all building materials and architectural structures. The floor is always wet, which increases the thermal conductivity of the surfaces. How can I fix this problem? Read on for more details.

There are several factors that negatively affect the temperature of the floor in the bath:

• lack of thermal insulation or its thickness is incorrectly selected;
• violation of the sealing of thermal insulation;
• non-compliance with the technology of flooring in the bath.

These are just a few reasons, each building may have its own nuances. Before you specifically consider the problem of cold floors in the bath, you need to know a little about the specific requirements for the coatings. This knowledge will allow you to avoid mistakes at the construction stage (and this is the best way to solve the problem of a cold floor) or to make the right decisions on insulation already during the operation of the bath.

Table. Specific requirements for the construction of the floor in the bath.

It is very difficult to make a high-quality, durable and at the same time warm floor in a bathhouse using the most modern building materials and technologies. But what did our ancestors do? Very simple. For the floors, coniferous logs sawn in half were used; the thickness of the coating reached 15–20 cm. Due to this, they did not freeze through, were not afraid of underground ventilation and remained strong for several decades. After 30–50 years, the frame was raised, rotten floorboards and lower rims were replaced with new ones. After such repairs, the bathhouse again served for several decades. Currently, this technology is not used for various reasons. What to do if it is necessary to insulate the floor of the operated bath?

Step-by-step instructions for repairing a cold floor

First, consider the most time-consuming floor repair option, it requires not only wasting time, but also money. With a properly organized process and practical experience, it will take about two to three days to complete the work. The floor was made without insulation from edged boards, the water flow was carried out through the cracks between them. In winter, cold air entered through the cracks, which created inconvenience during the adoption of water procedures. Insulation work is done in several stages.

The first stage is the dismantling of old coatings

Step 1. Dismantle the old floor. If the boards are screwed to the supporting beams with self-tapping screws, then they will have to be unscrewed. Use an electric drill or cordless screwdriver. The hardware can be reused; use a scarf cup to collect them. If the floor is on nails, then use a nailer. To reduce damage to the boards, place pieces of boards under the metal part of the tool when pulling out nails.

Dismantling the floor - self-tapping screws are unscrewed

While unscrewing the screws, firmly press the sprocket to the heads, do not be afraid that the hardware will turn on the thread. Problems arise when the tool is not pressed sufficiently against the head. The asterisk turns in the recesses of the cap and smoothes its edges. It becomes very difficult to unscrew such a self-tapping screw, and it is impossible to pull out the threaded part with a nail puller without damaging the wooden elements. In the best case, the hat will tear out a piece of the board, in the worst case, you will have to change the logs or supporting beams.

Step 2. Remove the boards and check the condition of the timber floor structures. In most cases, problem areas will be visible, eliminate them before starting work. If serious damage to the beams is found, then they will have to be replaced with new ones.

Step 3. Unscrew the floor logs. They are fixed on metal squares and self-tapping screws; it is not difficult to remove the structures. As before, collect the old self-tapping screws in a container, in the future the hardware will come in handy, you will not need to buy new ones.

Step 4. Using an electric plane, remove the top damaged layer from the beams, process the lumber until completely healthy wood appears. There is no need to control the thickness of the lag, the lumber may differ slightly in size. All the same, in the future, their planes will not be located on the same line, but lie under a slope.

Step 5. Remove mildew from the perimeter wall boards. To do this, you can use acid-based toilet cleaners. It perfectly disinfects lumber and destroys mold roots. To enhance the effect, you can repeatedly wipe the surfaces of the boards with ordinary table vinegar.

Step 6. Install a heat gun and thoroughly dry the floor and wall surfaces. If desired, dry boards can be soaked again with factory antiseptics and dried.

Everything is smeared with used antiseptic

After repairs, it is recommended to drain water into the sewer, this method eliminates the wetting of the sawn timber surfaces and is highly recommended by professional builders. Do not rush to start repairs, allow time for all surfaces to dry. If everything is normal, then you can lay a new, now insulated floor.

Stage two - laying the new floor

The floor will be laid with a slight slope, the water will drain into a special tray located at the far wall.

Step 1. Determine the angle of inclination of the floor. To do this, use a long, flat board. Lay it along the room from the bath door to the drain tray. First, determine the position of the skirting boards, you can use ordinary cheap plastic elements with flexible rubber edges at the bottom. The sides will exclude the ingress of water on the wooden paneling of the walls of the bath.

Practical advice. It is much easier to work with a laser level. If it is not there, then the markup can be done with a water level, but you will have to work with an assistant and lose more time.

The upper plane of the skirting boards must be 1–1.5 cm below the threshold, otherwise they can be damaged when walking. Find these lines, subtract the height of the plinth from them. This will be the floor level at the front door. The slope of the floor should be within a centimeter to one meter. Do not do more, too much slope creates inconvenience when walking on the floor.

Step 2. Decide on the location of the tray, measure its length and cut the adjacent boards to size.

Step 3. Install the logs with an inclination towards the tray. To do this, first put the two extreme ones in place, pull the rope between them and fix all the remaining ones along it. Instead of a rope, you can use a long, flat rod or board, but these are more difficult to work with. Fix the lags not only to the lower strapping ring, but also to the concrete foundation strip, use metal corners and dowels for this. The best mounting option is two corners on each side of the log and one at the bottom. If the design does not allow lowering the tilt logs, then in the lower part they need to be sawed, the depth of the cut should correspond to the angle of inclination of the floor. If deviations from the plane are detected, shims can be used. There is no need to worry that they will sag over time, the logs are firmly held by three metal corners.

Practical advice. If you do not have a special tray for floors, then you can use an ordinary street one. To do this, before installing a grinder with a metal disc, remove the vertical stiffeners, this will make it possible to start the boards under the tray.

Step 4. Replace the prepared tray. If its width is less than the distance between the lags, then the gap should be closed. You can use boards or durable extruded polystyrene foam for this. The second material is much easier to work with, and there is no need for high strength to fix the tray. Once again, check the slope and position of all logs with a laser level. If all parameters are within normal limits, then you can continue to work on flooring.

To install the tray on the boards, prepare their ends, remove the chamfer. Width and depth depend on the dimensions of the sides of the trays. Before installing, the ends of the boards and all fresh cuts must be treated with antiseptics, you can soak them several times with sunflower oil. Before fixing the boards, coat the landing site with a high-quality sealant. The fact is that it is very difficult to make perfectly flat seats, it is much easier to use a sealant for these purposes. The tray is screwed to the boards with small screws. After fixing, it is also recommended to seal the drain perimeter. Pay great attention to these places. It is here that water accumulates and lingers for a long time. Wetting the boards from the ends is a very unpleasant situation. Moisture through the capillaries gets to a great depth, it takes a lot of time to dry, there are not enough breaks between bath procedures. As a result, the boards rot, the tray collapses, the floor in the bath requires repair.

Practical advice. It is strongly recommended to insulate the side surfaces of the foundation around the perimeter, fix polystyrene foam on them by any method available to you. Do not forget to leave holes for air vents, this is a prerequisite for the duration of the bath.

Step 5. Connect the drain pipes to the drainage containers. These can be metal drums dug upside down with a capacity of 100-200 liters. On the sides of the barrels with a grinder, cut holes for the water to drain. In order to completely exclude freezing of water in pipelines, insulate them with soft polystyrene foam. But it is not necessary to do this, warm water and pipes do not have time to freeze during the time of taking water procedures. Moreover, the angle of inclination of the pipelines is large and the water quickly goes into the barrels.

The third stage is floor insulation

To insulate the floor in the bath, it is better to use expanded polystyrene, not mineral wool. The fact is that mineral wool is very afraid of an increase in humidity, a wet heat insulator dramatically increases thermal conductivity, the insulation efficiency approaches zero. In addition, wet wool dries for a long time, all this time wooden structures are used in very difficult conditions. As a result, the appearance of mold and rot, the need for extraordinary repairs not only of the flooring, but also of nearby wooden architectural elements.

Expanded polystyrene does not have the above disadvantages, it does not absorb moisture at all, even with direct prolonged contact with water. The only problem with expanded polystyrene is that the material is damaged by rodents, but to prevent damage there is a simple way - to close the air vents with metal grates.

Step 1. To the lower plane of the lag, nail any pieces of boards, slats or OSB boards of the appropriate sizes, they will have insulation on them. The distance between the boards does not matter, the main thing is that the boards have an emphasis in at least four places.

Important. The thickness of the insulation layer should be at least ten centimeters, if it is less, then the effect of insulation will be minimal. Professionals recommend laying two layers of slabs, each 5 cm thick. To minimize heat loss, the joints should be staggered.

Seal all gaps between boards and walls using polyurethane foam. After hardening, it must be carefully cut with an assembly knife.

Insulation is laid, the joints are sealed with polyurethane foam

Step 2. After all layers of thermal insulation have been installed, you can continue to lay the floor. You should start from one of the walls, fasten each board with self-tapping screws that remained after dismantling the old flooring. The thickness of the floorboards is approximately 20 mm, specific values ​​are selected taking into account the distance between the joists. The boards should be grooved and as even as possible.

Step 3. Fill the honey gap with foam with the floor and wall decoration along the perimeter of the bath. After hardening, cut off the excess.

Practical advice. If the walls in the bath are lined with clapboard, then it is not necessary to remove foam from the profiled grooves. In any case, these cracks need to be sealed with silicone, and the foam will significantly save its amount. The skirting board should be hermetically adjacent not only to the floor, but also to the walls. Remember that water trapped in the gap will never dry out, and the lumber will inevitably begin to deteriorate prematurely.

Step 4. Sand the floor with an electric sander. Be sure to connect it to a vacuum cleaner, this will reduce the amount of dust and make the final cleaning of the bath much easier. During sanding, make sure that the sharp protrusions between the adjacent boards are removed, as for the evenness of the surface, there are no strict requirements here. If there is no special tool, then you can grind it by hand, especially since the floor area of ​​the bath is small. Prepare the fixture, attach a 25-H or larger sanding pad to the medium trowel. According to the international classification, the abrasive should be of class P60 or less.

Step 5. Clean the floor from dust, cover the surface with a durable acrylic varnish. Buy only high-quality material, varnish should not be afraid of high humidity and release harmful chemical compounds into the air. You can cover the boards with an ordinary brush. The number of layers is at least three, each subsequent one is applied only after the previous one has completely dried.

Step 6. Treat the cut foam with a sealant around the perimeter of the bath, try to completely close all open pores. Allow the sealant to set.

Step 7. Install skirting boards. They are fixed with self-tapping screws, first a mounting plastic plate is attached, and a decorative plinth is snapped onto it. Carefully seal all gaps between the skirting board and the wall finish with sealant. The sealant should be matched to the color of the boards.

This completes the repair of the cold floor, give the materials time to dry and you can use the bath.

We have considered the most difficult, expensive and long-lasting option for floor insulation, but there are also very simple, but no less effective, methods of dealing with a cold floor.

You can find recommendations to close the holes for underground air vents during washing. In this way, it is allowed to solve the problem, just do not forget to open the vents again immediately after washing. Lack of ventilation is the main problem with floor coverings in baths.

Another misconception. There are masters who recommend taking air into the stove from the underground space to improve the microclimate in the bath. They are sure that in this way the movement of warm air improves, it is drawn from the underground into the oven, and warm air sinks in its place. This is not the case, there is no need to do such experiments. The fact is that the new air in the underground will not come from the room, but from the vents in the foundation, that is, from the street. As a result, the floor will not warm up, but will cool down even more.

Real warming due to the blower can be done only when the stove is located directly in the bathhouse. Lay it in such a way that the blower is as close to the floor as possible. In this case, the effect will be, in place of the used cold air, warm air will decrease and warm the floor. But it is not economically feasible to move the stove just for such an effect. And the increase in floor temperature is not so significant as to break the stove for this. Above, we have provided examples of more efficient and less costly methods.

Prices for the range of Ballu BKX-3 heat guns

heat gun ballu bkx-3

Conclusion

There can be a cold floor in a bath only if it was built by illiterate and irresponsible builders. It is much easier, cheaper and smarter to prevent problems from arising than to correct them with heroic efforts. This rule, by the way, applies not only to floors, but also to all elements of the bath or any structure and building.

Even in the steam room, where fragrant wood is an indispensable attribute, tiles can be found in the design of the floor and basement under wooden through-flooring. This material is not afraid of temperature extremes and high humidity, it is easy to clean and has a high decorative effect. We will tell you how to make a tile floor in a bath.

Video - The underfloor is cold in the bath

Video - Cold floor repair

How to get rid of the cold floor in the bath

If the floor in the bathhouse is cold in winter, then it needs to be insulated. You have two options to keep it warm. The first option is when a concrete floor is made from two layers, and insulation is laid between the layers. So that the floor is not cold with such a design, a good insulation is enough. But if you are a supporter of a more comfortable bath, you can also organize an additional one, which will make bath procedures even more comfortable.

Expanded clay, perlite can be used as a heater. They are more suited to this role. Some also use polystyrene in various variations. It is also a good insulation. The use of such heaters in the bath will not only make the cold floor warm, but also increase its service life. After all, this material is not afraid of dampness.

In short, the process of insulating a cold floor in a bathhouse itself consists of the following points: The first layer of concrete is made, waterproofing is laid on top - usually various mastics play this role. Next, the insulation is laid, a waterproofing film can be additionally laid on top, and then the finishing concrete screed is made.

Such a floor should have a slope for the water to drain into the drain pit. It is also not uncommon when organizing such a floor, a floor heating system is mounted in the finishing screed, and the floor is tiled. Some, where the underfloor heating system is not used, additionally lay boards on the floor or make slatted wood flooring. Boards are pre-treated with special impregnations - you can read more about this.

The concrete floor in the bath is certainly a good option, but it is not only laborious but also expensive, especially if you also want to equip a floor heating system.

The second option to make cold floors warmer is to build non-leaking wooden floors and lay insulation under them.

The essence of such floors is that logs are first laid, the space between them is filled with insulation that is not afraid of moisture. A waterproofing film must be laid on top and bottom of the insulation. Further, the boards are laid very tightly on the logs so that there are no cracks, the sides of the boards must have a ridge and a tongue. Naturally, the boards are impregnated with special waterproofing impregnations. And unforgettable about the slope that must be present so that water can flow freely along the boards into the sewer pit.

With the help of such simple manipulations, you can turn a cold floor in a bath into a very comfortable warm one. You can find out all the ways to insulate a wooden floor.

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In order to know all the subtleties of building a bath, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basic principles of the device and construction of a cold floor in a bath.

The bath is not just a place for taking cleansing procedures, it is an ancient way of strengthening health and spirit. For the steam room to be useful, you need to track that the bath fits all criteria: the right materials, a good stove and a heated floor. But what if the bathhouse has already been built, and the floor does not heat up at all? What could be the reasons, and what can make the floor warm?

The temperature of the floor depends on several determining factors: the weather conditions outside, the correct laying of the walls and ceiling, as well as the coating itself.

The most popular and widespread in the bath today is the concrete floor. It is durable and reliable; concrete does not give in to decay, does not decompose and does not emit harmful compounds, it easily fits into, it is easy to clean and just fit. However, like any stone or tile, it conducts heat well, which is why, even at high temperatures, it remains cold and does not raise the heat above 30 degrees. In order for the water to drain out, small gaps are left in the concrete floor, which even in the warm time of the day pass drafts. Moreover, these holes, despite the quality of the concrete, with constant moisture and airflow, cause the appearance of mold. Unnecessary cold air can get in even with a poorly laid ceiling. Accidental cracks, poorly laid vapor barrier materials and insulation are one of the reasons for the cold floor in the bath. To deal with such a problem, you need the help of a professional.

Laying tiles is not quite the right solution for insulation, because it was already said earlier - its thermal conductivity is the same as that of concrete, so what you need will not be provided (although the appearance with a tiled floor changes for the better).

Concrete flooring depends on external temperatures - there will be no strong cold if the thermometer outside the window shows +30 degrees, but if it's frosty outside, then the concrete will practically not be heated.

Many people try to lay wooden boards on the concrete surface, so to speak, "tightly", but this way there will be problems with the wood - it is inconvenient to dry the pieces of wood and from time to time treat them with an antiseptic. And even this option warms up to no more than 40 degrees and will not provide the necessary comfort.

Wooden is considered a rather warm option, however, there are failures with it. Cold wood flooring can be achieved if the distance between the planks and the earthen foundation is minimal. Here the solution is simple - another layer of insulation is laid. The obvious reason for the cold is the absence of a so-called subfloor (a layer of scraps mixed with waterproofing). The temperature of the floor also depends on the type of wood. Coniferous or deciduous woods are great for steam rooms and dressing rooms - they are the best at retaining heat and giving comfort to the feet. Wood will provide warmth in the bath if it is laid in the form of gratings on any base covering.

A cold floor may not be uncomfortable for someone, however, it does not bring any health benefits. If, after strong heating, step on it, the possibility of heat stroke and loss of consciousness increases. So it's worth taking a close look at the cold floor problem.