Why is the bathhouse floor cold? How to fix it? Why are there cold wooden floors in a bathhouse, how can insulation be done? The floor in a bathhouse with an iron stove is cold.

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

The bathhouse is not just a place for cleansing procedures, it is an ancient way to strengthen health and spirit. In order for the steam room to be beneficial, you need to make sure that the bathhouse meets all the criteria: the right materials, good stove and heated floors. What if the sauna has already been built, but the floor does not heat up at all? What could be the reasons and what can make the floor warm?

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

The most popular and common floor in a bathhouse today is a concrete floor. It is durable and reliable; concrete does not rot, does not decompose and does not emit harmful compounds, fits easily into the concrete, is easy to clean and is easy to lay. However, like any stone or tile, it conducts heat well, which is why even with high temperatures, remains cold and does not raise the heat above 30 degrees. So that the water can drain into concrete floor leave small gaps that allow drafts to pass through even in warm weather. Moreover, these holes, despite the quality of the concrete, with constant moisture and airflow, cause mold to appear. Unnecessary cold air can also enter if the ceiling is poorly laid. Random cracks, poorly laid vapor barrier materials and insulation is one of the reasons for the cold floor in the bathhouse. To deal with this problem, you need the help of a professional.

Laying tiles is not quite the right solution for insulation, because... has already been said earlier - its thermal conductivity is like that of concrete, so the necessary will not be provided (although appearance with a tiled floor changes for the better).

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

Many people try to lay it on a concrete surface wooden boards, so to speak, “tightly”, but with this arrangement problems will arise with the wood - it is inconvenient to dry the pieces of wood and at times 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 sufficient warm option, however, there are glitches with it too. A cold wooden floor can occur if the distance between the boards and the earthen foundation is minimal. The solution here is simple - lay another layer of insulation. The obvious cause of the cold is the absence of the 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 wood varieties are excellent for steam rooms and dressing rooms - they retain heat best and provide comfort to the feet. Wood will provide warmth in the bathhouse if it is laid in the form of gratings on any base covering.

Perhaps a cold floor will not cause discomfort to someone, but it does not bring any health benefits. If you step on it after intense heating, the possibility of heatstroke and loss of consciousness increases. So you should carefully approach the problem associated with cold floors.

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

There are several factors that negatively affect the floor temperature in a bathhouse:

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

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

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

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

Step-by-step instructions for repairing a cold floor

First, let's consider the most labor-intensive option for floor repair; it requires not only a loss of time, but also money. With a properly organized process and practical experience, it will take approximately two to three days to complete the work. The floor was made without insulation from edged boards, the water drained through the cracks between them. IN winter period Over time, cold air entered through the cracks, which created inconvenience during water procedures. Insulation work is carried out in several stages.

The first stage is the dismantling of old coatings

Step 1. Remove the old floor. If the boards are screwed to the load-bearing beams with self-tapping screws, they will have to be unscrewed. Use it electric drill or a cordless screwdriver. Hardware can be reused; use a handkerchief cup to collect them. If the floor is on nails, then use a nail puller. To reduce damage to boards under metal part When pulling out nails, use the tool to support pieces of boards.

Dismantling the floor - unscrewing the screws

When unscrewing the screws, firmly press the sprocket against the heads; do not be afraid that the hardware will turn on the threads. Problems arise when the tool is not pressed against the head enough. The star rotates in the recesses of the cap and smoothes its edges. It becomes very difficult to unscrew such a self-tapping screw, and to pull out the threaded part using a nail puller without damaging it wooden elements impossible. IN best case scenario the head will tear out a piece of the board; in the worst case, you will have to change the joists or supporting beams.

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

Step 3. Unscrew the floor joists. They are fixed with metal squares and self-tapping screws; it is not difficult to remove the structure. a lot of work. As before, collect old screws in a container; the hardware will come in handy in the future, and you won’t need to buy new ones.

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

Step 5. Remove mold from the wall trim boards around the perimeter of the bathhouse. To do this, you can use toilet bowl cleaners that contain acid. 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 heat gun and thoroughly dry the surface of the floor and walls. If desired, dry boards can be soaked again with factory-made antiseptics and dried.

Everything is coated with used antiseptic.

After repairs, it is recommended to drain the water into the sewer; this method prevents the surfaces of the lumber from getting wet and is strongly recommended by professional builders. Do not rush to start repairs, give time for all surfaces to dry. If everything is normal, then you can lay a new, now insulated floor.

Stage two – laying a new floor

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

Step 1. Determine the angle of the floor. To do this, use a long, flat board. Place it along the room from the bathhouse door to the drain tray. First, determine the position of the skirting boards; you can use ordinary cheap plastic elements with flexible rubber sides at the bottom. The sides will prevent water from entering wood paneling bath walls.

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

The upper plane of the skirting boards should be 1–1.5 cm below the threshold level, otherwise they may be damaged when walking. Find these lines and subtract the height of the baseboard from them. This will be the floor level front door. The slope of the floor should be within a centimeter per meter. There is no need to do more; too much of a slope creates inconvenience when walking on the floor.

Step 2. Decide on the installation 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 outer ones in place, stretch the rope between them and secure all the remaining ones along it. Instead of a rope, you can use a long, flat strip or board, but it is more difficult to work with them. Fix the logs not only to the lower rim, but also to the concrete strip of the foundation; use metal corners and dowels for this. The best option fastenings - two corners on each side of the log and one at the bottom. If the design does not allow the logs to be lowered for tilting, then they need to be sawed at the bottom; the depth of the cut must correspond to the angle of inclination of the floor. If deviations from the plane are detected, you can use shims. There is no need to worry that they will sag over time; the logs are firmly held in place 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 the grinder with a metal disc, remove the vertical stiffening ribs, this will make it possible to place the boards under the tray.

Step 4. Place the prepared tray in place. If its width is less than the distance between the joists, 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 great strength is not needed to fix the tray. Check the slope and position of all joists again with a laser level. If all parameters are within normal limits, then you can continue working on flooring.

To install the tray on the boards, their ends should be prepared and chamfered. The width and depth depend on the size of the sides of the trays. Before installation, the ends of the boards and all fresh cuts must be treated with antiseptics; you can soak them several times sunflower oil. Before fixing the boards, coat the landing sites with a high-quality sealant. The point is to make perfectly even seats very difficult, it is much easier to use sealant for these purposes. The tray is screwed to the boards with small self-tapping screws. After fixing, it is also recommended to seal the drain perimeter. Pay great attention to these places. This is where water accumulates and lingers for a long time. Getting the boards wet at the ends is a very unpleasant situation. Moisture travels to great depths through capillaries, it takes a long time to dry, and there are not enough breaks between bath procedures. As a result, the boards rot, the tray collapses, and the floor in the bathhouse requires repair.

Practical advice. It is strongly recommended to insulate the side surfaces of the foundation along the perimeter; fix polystyrene foam on them using any method available to you. Do not forget to leave holes for ventilation, this is a prerequisite for the long life of the bath.

Step 5. Connect the drain pipes to the drainage containers. It may be buried upside down metal barrels capacity 100–200 l. Use a grinder to cut holes on the sides of the barrels to allow water to drain out. In order to completely prevent freezing of water in pipelines, insulate them with soft polystyrene foam. But you don't have to do this warm water and the pipes do not have time to freeze during water procedures. Moreover, the angle of inclination of the pipelines is large and the water quickly goes into the barrels.

The third stage - floor insulation

To insulate the floor in a bathhouse, it is better to use polystyrene foam rather than mineral wool. The fact is that mineral wool is very afraid of increased humidity, a wet heat insulator sharply increases thermal conductivity, and the insulation efficiency approaches zero. In addition, wet cotton wool takes a long time to dry, all this time wooden structures operated 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 polystyrene foam is that the material is damaged by rodents, but to prevent damage there is a simple way - to cover the ventilation holes with metal grilles.

Step 1. Nail any pieces of boards, slats or OSB boards of appropriate sizes to the bottom plane of the log; the insulation will lie on them. The distance between the boards does not matter, the main thing is that the boards have a stop in at least four places.

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

With help polyurethane foam Seal all gaps between slabs and walls. After hardening, it must be carefully cut with a mounting knife.

Insulation is laid, joints are sealed with polyurethane foam

Step 2. After all layers of thermal insulation have been laid, you can continue laying the floor. You should start with 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 must be tongue-and-groove and as even as possible.

Step 3. Seal the gaps between the floor and wall trim around the perimeter of the bathhouse with foam. Once hardened, trim off excess.

Practical advice. If the walls in the bathhouse are covered with clapboard, then there is no need to remove foam from the profiled grooves. In any case, these cracks need to be sealed with silicone, and foam will significantly save its amount. The baseboard must be hermetically sealed not only to the floor, but also to the walls. Remember that water that gets into the gap will never dry out, and the lumber will inevitably begin to deteriorate prematurely.

Step 4. Sand the floor using an electric sander grinding machine. Be sure to connect it to a vacuum cleaner, this will reduce the amount of dust and make final cleaning of the bathhouse much easier. During sanding, make sure that sharp protrusions between adjacent boards are removed; as for the evenness of the surface, there are no strict requirements. If there is no special tool, then you can grind manual method, especially since the bathhouse floor area is small. Prepare the device, attach sanding paper number 25-N or more to a medium-sized smoother. According to the international classification, sandpaper must be class P60 or less.

Step 5. Clean the floor from dust, cover the surface with a durable acrylic varnish. Buy only quality material, varnish should not be afraid high humidity and release harmful chemicals 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. Along the perimeter of the bath, treat the cut foam with sealant, try to completely close all open pores. Give the sealant time to set.

Step 7 Install baseboards. 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 baseboard and wall trim with sealant. The sealant should be matched to the color of the boards.

At this point, the repair of the cold floor is completed, give the materials time to dry and you can use the bathhouse.

We looked at the most complex, expensive and time-consuming option for floor insulation, but there are also very simple, but no less effective, methods of dealing with a cold floor.

You may find recommendations to close the underground ventilation holes during cleaning. This method can be used to solve the problem, but do not forget to open the vents again immediately after washing. Lack of ventilation is the main problem with bathhouse flooring.

Another misconception. To improve the microclimate in the bathhouse, there are experts who recommend taking air into the stove firebox from the underground space. They are sure that this way improves movement warm air, it is pulled from the underground into the oven, and a warm one is lowered into its place. This is not true, there is no need to do such experiments. The fact is that new air the underground will come not from the premises, 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 insulation due to the blower can be done only when the stove is located directly in the bathhouse. Place it in such a way that the air vent is as close to the floor as possible. In this case, the effect will be that instead of the used cold air, warm air will fall and warm the floor. But moving the stove just for this effect is not economically feasible. And the increase in floor temperature is not so significant as to break the stove for the sake of it. Above we have given examples of more effective and less expensive methods.

Prices for the Ballu BKX-3 heat gun range

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Conclusion

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

Even in a steam room, where fragrant wood is an indispensable attribute, tiles can be found in the design of the floor and plinth under wooden through flooring. This material is not afraid of temperature changes and high humidity, it is easy to care for and is highly decorative. We'll tell you how to make a floor in a bathhouse from tiles.

Video - Cold underground in the bathhouse

Video - Cold floor repair

Floors in a bathhouse are one of the most important factors of comfort in construction. A cold floor in a bathhouse can not only ruin a pleasant time in it, but also become a threat to human health. To avoid such troubles, it is necessary to think through the design of the building at the project planning stage, paying special attention to the thermal resistance of the bathhouse elements, and especially to insulate the floor.

Cold floor sources

The culprits of such discomfort:

• First of all, the foundation may be improperly insulated or not at all insulated. The foundation is the basis of the structure and its correct laying affects not only flooring, but also for the entire structure;
• the boards used for the flooring are not tightly fitted to each other, which causes drafts;
• installing the floor itself too close or below the foundation level;
• a thin layer of insulating material.

Since the bathhouse is mainly built from wooden material, she is most susceptible negative influence various harmful microorganisms, rotting, mold. Constant in construction high humidity due to the use of water, the floors do not dry out, increased air temperature in the steam room.

All this leads to the active development of these factors. You should not lose sight of any bark beetles that are not averse to feasting on wood, thereby causing irreparable damage to the wooden structure.

Based on the above, it is easy to understand why it is cold in the bathhouse and what reasons influence this. It is not only unpleasant to be in such a building, but also dangerous for the human body.

Preferred floor insulation

There are many thermal insulation materials in the construction range, but not all are suitable for use due to their low moisture resistance.

A huge amount of water is consumed in a bathhouse and can be resisted by:

• polystyrene foam with high water resistance. Its internal structure is best suited for these purposes and can be used with both concrete, wooden base, and on the ground;
• loose insulation material - expanded clay (porous granules from clay rocks), perlite (small mineral balls), expanded vermiculite (hydromica from rock), etc.

Methods for insulating floors in a bathhouse

Wooden floors are installed at the very beginning of the construction of the structure and are carried out in the following stages:

• We attach cranial bars to the lower edge of the beams.
• We place a vapor barrier material on top.
• Next we create a retaining sheet for the insulation from chipboards, OSB or unplaned boards.
• We place a pre-prepared thermal insulation base on the vapor barrier between the beams.
• A layer of waterproofing is placed on top of the insulation. The amount of insulation must be adjusted based on the climate of the building site. For the floor of the bathhouse, 100-160 mm is generally consumed, plus lay an additional layer of heat insulation, bringing its thickness to 250 mm.
• The final touch will be the stripe of the floorboard.

To extend the service life of wooden floors, you will need to cover them with protective agents. The same goes for everyone wood elements designs. At the right process heat, hydro and vapor barriers will protect the wood not only from the appearance and development of mold and pathogenic microbes, but also retain heat in the room.

In order to avoid high humidity under the floor, the underground space should be made ventilated, but there should be no drafts in the floor covering itself.

Thermal insulation of a concrete floor in a bathhouse

Another type of flooring in a bathhouse consists of a concrete base. Concrete floors need to be insulated in the following way:

• A layer is applied to the concrete for waterproofing bitumen mastic repeatedly. Properly performed waterproofing of the bathhouse floor in the washing room will help avoid many problems. When applying several layers, the previous coating must dry.
• Place insulator from rolls.
• The next layer will become insulating. You can use bulk thermal insulation materials such as expanded clay.
• Next, all this must be compacted and the floor screeded using a solution of sand and cement. The height of the screed should be at least 3 cm. The main thing at this stage is to create a very durable layer, which will be helped by the reinforcing mesh. Reinforcement is a must!
• The top of this floor can be covered with ceramic tiles. Only use non-slip sauna floor tiles, taking into account safety rules.

There is a way to fix a cold floor in a bathhouse when installed with concrete base. You can build a so-called “warm floor” under the tiles. This will significantly increase comfortable conditions and will add warmth to the room.

In the washing room of the bathhouse it is used a large number of water. To do this, it is necessary to create its outlet from the premises.

Wherein:

• The base of the floors must slope towards the drain.
• The drain hole can be one large or several small ones. It is advisable to equip a large passage with a drain mesh.
• A siphon is installed in the drain itself, which prevents drafts and disgusting odors from appearing. drain hole or sewer.

Conclusion

All stages of thermal insulation of wooden structural elements must be carried out in accordance with the rules for preserving wood. It is necessary to use antiseptic agents for the flooring. Such products will create a polymer heat-resistant layer that will “breathe” and be easy to clean. Some finishing compounds can give wood a beautiful shiny appearance.

The concrete floor in the bathhouse should not be cracked, chipped or scratched. The coating must be smooth and uniform, not taking into account the slope towards the drain. Any defects that appear must be immediately repaired with cement mortar.

To summarize, if it’s cold in the bathhouse, what should you do? First of all, check the floor and walls for cracks that create drafts. The source of the draft can be a damaged siphon in the drain if there is no required level water.

Building a bathhouse is a difficult process. Of course, everyone is trying to think through everything down to the smallest detail and build the ideal building. But, as you know, it is quite difficult to avoid all mistakes. Bathhouse owners often encounter the problem that walking on the floor is unpleasant because it is cold. About why the bathhouse floors are cold , and how to fix it will be discussed in this article.

Why is the bathhouse floor cold?

The most popular reasons why people face this problem are as follows:

• lack of thermal insulation. In this case, the exchange of heat between the floor and the cold foundation increases, as a result, the floor begins to draw cold;
• poorly made waterproofing. High-quality protection thermal insulation material- this is a guarantee that the floors will be warm. Otherwise, the material gets wet and loses its properties, resulting in the floor covering becoming cold;
• the use of materials with high thermal conductivity, in particular concrete and tiles. If you lay them without insulation, then it will definitely be uncomfortable to walk on such a floor.

Cold floor in the bathhouse: how to fix it

So, you have a cold floor in your bathhouse, what should you do? Let's consider some situations.

Most often, those who have a cold floor in their bathhouse face the problem. Concrete conducts heat well; even in a heated room, its temperature will remain quite low.

When thinking about the drainage system, some leave concrete covering small holes for water to flow through. But often they cause drafts and mold.

In this case, you can correct the situation as follows: make a regular wooden sheathing. It's simple and a budget option, which is perfect for a bath. Walking on the sheathing will be more pleasant and warmer. In addition, it can be easily dried and, if necessary, replaced with a new one.

Some try to solve the problem by laying tiles on top or laying wooden boards “tightly”, but both options will not give the desired result. In the first case, the floors will remain cold, because... ceramic tile, like concrete, is an excellent conductor of heat. In the second case, it will be inconvenient to dry the wood, which will lead to its rotting.

If the bathhouse has wooden floors and they are cold, then the reason is most likely that there is insufficient distance between the layer of earth and the boards. In this case, it is necessary to make another layer of flooring with insulation.

It is important to choose the insulation wisely, because the bathhouse has high humidity, and not every material will withstand such conditions.

For insulating the floor in a bathhouse, the following are suitable:

• expanded clay is the most popular and safe material. Expanded clay is made from clay, so it has excellent moisture resistance. The material may have a different fraction: than less material, the less its heat loss;

• penoizol - liquid foam. It is convenient because, thanks to its structure, it can penetrate into any cracks and hard-to-reach places and, therefore, protect the room from drafts;

• foam plastic - cheap, lightweight material with high moisture resistance. Even if it gets wet, it retains all its properties, and its thermal insulation value is more than 20 times higher than expanded clay concrete.

If the bathhouse has wooden floors made of edged boards, without insulation and gaps are made between the boards for water drainage, then in winter cold air will flow through them.

In this case, you need to dismantle the old covering and floor joists. The beams need to be unscrewed carefully, as they will come in handy later. They need to be processed electric plane to remove the damaged layer.

Afterwards, you need to drain the water into the sewer; this method will protect the floors from getting wet and eliminate the need to make cracks in the floor covering.

The last stage is the installation of a new floor in the bathhouse. Attach the previously prepared logs, make hydro- and thermal insulation, and install on top finishing coat.

A fan can help make wood floors warmer. It must be installed as close to the ceiling as possible. As you know, hot air is heavier than cold air, which is why in the steam room on the lower