How to insulate the floor in the bath with your own hands

Insulation of the floor in the bath. Features of materials and work

Keeping heat in the bath is an important task for creating comfort. After visiting a pair of legs, they are especially sensitive to temperature differences. In order not to spoil the pleasure, it is better to take care of floor insulation in advance.

Why insulate the floor in the bath

In addition to the comfort of your stay, there are an additional number of reasons for floor insulation:

• the temperature difference between the steam room and the washing floor is unfavorable for the body;
• the bath will warm up much faster due to the insulated floor;
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• heat preservation for a long time requires high-quality hydro- and thermal insulation not only of the walls and ceiling, but also of the floor, despite the movement of heated air up according to the laws of physics.

Choice of insulation

Conventional heaters, which are used for living rooms, are not suitable for a bath due to the special conditions of high humidity and temperature. The choice of insulation layer according to technical parameters largely depends on the quality of the floor itself: made of wood or concrete.

Kinds. Description and specifications

The following basic materials are used for floor insulation:

1. Styrofoam, foam orpolystyrene foam. Versatile materials suitable for wooden and concrete floors. As a rule, they are used to warm a bath floor from a tree. If the foam is laid on a concrete base, it is recommended to add a layer of waterproofing. The main properties of foam and polystyrene foam are manifested in environmental cleanliness, efficiency, ease of use and high moisture resistance. These heaters are stiff, not susceptible to decay or fungal infections, are characterized by low weight, and therefore do not provide additional load on the foundation. Expanded polystyrene is especially popular. It is convenient in work as it is easily cut with a knife. Waste is minimal. Depending on climatic conditions, plates up to 150 mm thick or up to 250 mm thick can be used to achieve maximum effect. Due to the high strength of the material, many consider it the best insulation.
2. Mineral and glass wool. Most often used for concrete floors. If used for a wooden base, then a significant layer of waterproofing is required, since glass wool absorbs moisture. Insulation of the floor in the bath can be done with different mineral insulation, but the vast majority of materials lose the properties of the heat insulator when moisture gets inside. Therefore, a careful choice should be made.
3. Expanded clay. It has the same properties as glass wool, although the materials are not similar in structure. Needs careful isolation from water. Differs in small weight and good qualities of a heater. It is possible to use expanded clay not only in dry form, but also in a single mass with cement mortar. It is used for thermal insulation of concrete floors. The advantages of expanded clay in its natural clay base and fire resistance. After firing, it acquires a porous structure of sintered granules protected by a crust. This is one of the most affordable heaters, superior in heat-insulating properties to wood, brick and foam concrete.
4. Perlite. The material is distinguished by a sandy structure, used in a mixture with cement. After the solution has solidified, the interlayer becomes porous. It is used as a lightweight thermal insulation layer between screeds in a concrete floor.

Advantages and disadvantages

The choice of insulation depends on three main factors:

• floor base material;
• the availability of insulating materials;
• convenience in work;
• qualitative characteristics, of which moisture resistance is one of the most important indicators.

If a wooden or concrete base is insulated with moisture-absorbing materials, then additional costs will be required for work on a high-quality waterproofing layer.

The most convenient and economical in use is considered to be expanded polystyrene boards. Modern insulation combines the main important properties: low thermal conductivity, low weight and availability in processing.

How to insulate your own wooden or concrete floor

The main insulation works should be carried out during the construction period, otherwise the dismantling of not only the old coating, but also the wall decoration, cannot be avoided. Features of the use of various materials and installation work depend on the type of floor.

If there is a concrete floor in the bathhouse, they begin work by placing heat-insulating material on the floor slabs with reliable waterproofing. A reinforcing mesh is placed on the insulation, and a cement-sand screed on it. A variant of two stages of concrete pouring is possible, between which layers a heat-insulating layer is made.

The main materials for insulating concrete floors:

• polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam;
• perlite;
• mineral and glass wool;
• expanded clay;
• foam concrete.

The wooden floor is characterized by low thermal conductivity, but in the bath its properties are enhanced by an additional layer of insulation. To do this, first on the lower floor beams place a cranial beam as a rough floor and a vapor barrier layer. Then perform the installation of insulation and cover it with waterproofing material.

The main materials for warming a wooden floor:

• polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam;
• perlite;
• mineral or glass wool;
• construction felt with bitumen impregnation;
• foam concrete.

Walkthrough: Insulating Wood Floors

• Step 1. If you have to insulate the old floor, then dismantling is preliminarily carried out. It is recommended to sign the disassembled elements in order to simplify the subsequent installation. In the process, all damaged parts need to be cut out, followed by replacement with commensurate bars.
• Step 2 On the lower logs, you need to fix the bars to create support for the rough floor.
• Step 3 A flooring is prepared from inexpensive lumber with a gap between boards and logs of about 1 cm.
• Step 4 The rough floor does not fit tightly, you need to leave cracks to prevent deformation from temperature effects.
• Step 5 To protect the heat insulator from soil moisture, a vapor barrier layer is laid covering the draft floor and logs. For this purpose, you can use roofing material. The coating is overlapped, if it is rolled, with the entrance along the entire perimeter to the walls. The vapor barrier must be fixed with a stapler to the walls and lags.
• Step 6 Between the wooden logs, a heater is placed taking into account the ventilation layer up to a height of 4 cm. A clearance is required for subsequent drying of the wood. If the thickness of the heat insulator is adjacent to the finish floor, a crate with an approximate pitch of 40 cm will be required.
• Step 7 The insulation layer is closed with a waterproofing material. If there is a crate - under it.
• Step 8 Installation of the floor finish with the installation of skirting boards.

Walkthrough: Concrete Floor Insulation

Warming of a concrete floor occurs according to other rules:

• Step 1. Concrete slabs lying on the foundation must be covered with a layer of waterproofing. As a rule, this is a mastic of a combination of bitumen and rubber. It is applied by dense coating. You can use roll material or a combination of coating with a roll coating.
• Step 2 A layer of thermal insulation is laid: mineral wool, polystyrene foam, perlite solution or expanded clay. The height of the layer depends on the properties of the selected material and technical characteristics.
• Step 4 A reinforcing mesh is placed on the insulation layer using supports and a top screed up to 3 cm thick is poured.
• Step 5 After fixing the rough screed, further coverage depends on the individual decisions of the owners: either a final screed with subsequent finishing, or a wooden finishing floor, or ceramic tile.

Features of expanded clay insulation

Expanded clay - a popular material for floor insulation in the bath. The thickness of the layer should be sufficient for the load to which the floors will be subjected.

During the laying process, it is recommended to pay attention to the upper layer of expanded clay. It should be smooth, without slopes. To do this, use the level. Only after checking for defects can it be poured with cement mortar. If necessary, fix the reinforcing mesh and make a screed up to 4 cm high. It takes about a month to dry the floor.

Features of perlite insulation

Perlite is a light bulk material that scatters at the slightest wind blow. Therefore, work with him is carried out indoors. If you take a bucket as a unit of measure, then the perlite composition is prepared as follows: 2 buckets of expanded sand (perlite) and a bucket of water must be mixed and allowed to shrink. Then, in the resulting mass, cement should be added in parts in a volume of 1.5 buckets. After mixing, we again add a bucket of perlite and 0.5 buckets of water.

The readiness of the mixture is indicated by water flowing upstairs. If it seems that the paste is dry and loose, you need to be patient and stir without adding water until the desired plasticity appears. The finished mixture resembles compositions for leveling or finishing.

The perlite composition should be laid in a layer up to 10 cm high and dried over a week. After complete solidification, the installation of the floor can continue.

What to do if the sauna is on stilts

For stilt houses, it is recommended to make floors with a special collection of water in the drain hole. A small slope is performed during the installation of wooden logs and hemming from boards or plywood. A vapor barrier layer is fixed on them.

It is important to make ventilation vents at opposite angles. The leak tightness is important so that water cannot wet the insulation and side walls.

The insulation is selected from light materials: mineral wool, polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene. Installation of a heat insulator is followed by preservation by a waterproofing film and installation of a draft floor. The finish can be wood or tiled.

Recommendations

To insulate the floors only in the steam room of the built bath can be an additional layer with a heat insulator indoors. Raised floor by 10-15 cm will reduce the total volume of the section, but at the same time heating will be faster and more efficient.

Final decisions on the choice of materials and on the arrangement of insulation should be made taking into account real needs and climatic factors.