The bathroom in an apartment (or house) is the room that is characterized by a rather specific operating mode. Condensate that appeared as a result of temperature fluctuations, splashes, accidentally spilled water - all these factors constantly and systematically test the strength of wall and floor cladding, penetrate into technological seams.
Water, accumulating at the joints of structures under tiles, in the areas of connection and passage of pipes, creates the most comfortable conditions for living and reproduction of entire colonies of fungi and bacteria. The results of long-term exposure to these "tenants" are damaged walls and ceilings of the room itself, poisoning with host toxins. In order to avoid all these horrors, mandatory waterproofing of the bathroom under the tiles is required. What is bestsuitable for these purposes? This is something to think about.
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Water has destructive power. And, probably, as long as humanity exists, it is as much opposed to the water element. To date, there are a variety of waterproofing materials. The types most demanded by consumers are as follows:
- plates, panels for creating a water-repellent facing layer;
- flexible materials that can be welded or glued;
- painting materials and pasty mixtures for coating (the walls and floor in the bathroom treated in this way are covered with a layer of waterproofing up to 1.5 cm thick);
- sprayed compositions form foam-cement or foam barriers to water;
- special waterproofing plaster, and at the same time leveling vertical surfaces;
- materials saturated with hydrophobic components and reinforcing fiber;
- impregnations and injections that can change the structure of porous building materials (consequence - increased moisture-proof properties and strength).
Selection criteria
Depending on the technical characteristics of the room in which the work will be carried out, choose the type of one, and preferably two materials that work perfectly in tandem. It can be quite difficult (especially for a non-specialist) to decide on the options that best solve the problem of waterproofing a bathroom. However, keep in mind the following:
- moisture protection of sanitary facilities in the house does not require the same powerful waterproofing,as the foundation of a building;
- it must be borne in mind that if the bathroom is waterproofed with your own hands, the technology should not be too complicated;
- the price of the issue also matters, because consumables can be very, very expensive.
Comparing all these factors, as a rule, we can conclude that coating and pasting will be the most acceptable for waterproofing a bathroom and a bathroom. To perform these types of work today, a lot of various materials and finished products are produced, differing from each other in composition, price and technology.
Definition of work scope
There are a great many options for carrying out moisture protection work in sanitary facilities. They are no less than the materials known and available today, with the help of which the bathroom is waterproofed under the tiles. What is better, what to give preference to?
There are three fundamental factors that determine the areas of work and the area of forthcoming processing. In the bathroom, you can protect against the damaging effects of water:
- only a horizontal surface (floor), without fail forming small bumpers (≈ 10 cm) along the walls;
- floor and areas around sanitary facilities (bath, showers, washbasins, etc.);
- floor and walls completely, with the processing of partitions along the entire height.
The need to give preference to one type of waterproofing in advance is related to how it will be createdwater repellent barrier. The same material can be applied to surfaces horizontally and vertically in completely different ways.
Waterproofing by coating
This type of waterproofing is a single or multi-layer coating with a thickness of 1 mm to several centimeters, which is created by applying a plastic composition to a surface protected from moisture.
If the bathroom is waterproofed by coating, the following types of materials are used:
- Painting products that create a thin protective film on the surface: bitumen diluted to a liquid state, mastic of the same type, water-repellent compounds for processing wood and metal structures (varnishes, paints). On vertical surfaces, such materials are applied in two layers with a brush or roller. The composition is simply poured onto the floor and evenly distributed using a squeegee.
- Bituminous mastics, pasty compositions based on oxidized bitumen with the addition of modifying additives that minimize toxicity and increase elasticity and strength characteristics.
Covered waterproofing, which creates a continuous, seamless surface on the treated area, should be preferred in cases where screeding is required in the bathroom.
Basic principles of coating
First, you need to remove all construction debris and clean the surface of old, previously applied coatings, varnishes, paints and oils, repair all existing damage. Next, you need to embroider at least 2 cm all jointsslabs, panels, interface lines of walls and ceilings. The finished longitudinal strobes are degreased, and a self-adhesive waterproofing cord is laid in them (the floating floor in the bathroom is also processed). Further, according to the instructions, a special sealing tape is glued over the cord. The next stage is the actual coating of the surfaces planned for processing. The process ends with plastering for the purpose of leveling and pouring the screed.
It is permissible to replace the waterproofing cord with a silicone mass packaged in tubes. The process of filling the strobe with silicone must go on continuously, the resulting excess is cut off with a spatula.
Waterproofing by papering
Adhesive waterproofing can be called any waterproof coating, mounted from several layers of special materials (films, sheets, rolls) using special adhesives. Laying any waterproofing materials with an overlap is a necessary condition in order to obtain high-quality waterproofing of the bathroom under the tiles.
What is better to prefer as a gluing factor? They often use the good old way of heating the edges of the materials to be glued with a gas burner. However, this is not very safe.
On the contrary, the modern market is saturated with all sorts of adhesives. There are even some that do not require heating before use. One of the newest is Unigex-2 polyurethane mastic. The whole cooking technology consists in mixing two components and -glue is ready to use. Using a spatula, it is applied to the edge of the sheet, and the next sheet of coating is overlapped. This adhesive also has the properties of a sealant.
Pros and cons of pasting
Before you make waterproofing in the bathroom by gluing, you need to evaluate the positive and negative aspects of this process. Of course, the attractive side is the budget price. Of the negative points, you should pay attention to the fact that you will need to first take measurements, and then cut the material.
Further, the protected surface should not have large differences in height - 2 mm per 2 meters of length is permissible. For the built-up option, the use of a burner will be required, and the work will be quite complicated, because most bathrooms occupy a small area. In addition to all of the above, it should be noted that the laying of material sheets and the thorough alignment of the corners are rather laborious processes. Without proper skills, waterproofing material can be overheated with a torch or torn when forming a corner.
Work technology
What work needs to be done before waterproofing the bathroom under the tiles? Which is better - do everything yourself or invite the master? Naturally, if you have the skills, it will be cheaper to do everything yourself.
Pre-surfaces are leveled and the screed and plaster are completely dry. Next, remove all debris (dust, motes, etc.) and cover the surfaces twice with soil. Then all butt joints are waterproofed and, if necessary, mastic or polymer glue is applied. Cut materials according to preliminary measurements and let them mature for at least a day.
Next, you can start the gluing process. The first sheet is glued as it is convenient for the master. From where the work will start, it does not matter. The edges of each next sheet are coated with glue and overlapped (no more than 20 cm) on the previous sheet. After the end of the first layer, the sides are formed to protect the areas of the bathroom, shower, sink, etc. Waterproofing on the walls is glued from the bottom up. Strips of the second layer of waterproofing are glued across the previous one.
Waterproofing of sanitary facilities in a wooden house
Waterproofing a bathroom in a wooden house has its own specifics. Wood is not friendly with water, and if waterproofing is not properly taken care of, mold will quickly appear in the bathroom, wooden interior details will deform and quickly become unusable.
Since the floors of the dwelling are made of wood, it is important to pay attention to their treatment with moisture protective agents. You also need to remember about the careful processing of the ceiling, on which, condensing, warm vapor settles in the form of water drops.
For waterproofing works in wooden houses, special water-repellent varnish coatings are most often used, which effectively protect natural wood from deformation.
Price range
As for investment, it is certainly more profitablepurchase and use coating waterproofing materials for repairs, the price of which is much lower than for gluing. For example, a package of 15 kg of bituminous insulating mastic will cost the consumer 240-250 rubles. If we bear in mind that for the installation of a waterproofing layer with a thickness of 2 mm, 3.2 kg of material per square meter will be required. surface, it becomes clear that this method is very, very economical. And if you also take into account that the work can be done independently, fortunately, no special skills are required and you can not invite a specialist (and not pay extra money), then from the point of view of financial investments, this method of waterproofing looks more than attractive.
You can purchase mastic with improved characteristics, which include the materials of the TechnoNIKOL company. A package of 20 kg will cost the consumer 1200 - 1300 rubles. Such a cost will also not lead to a financial crisis in each individual family, and the bathroom will be reliably protected from leaks and floods.
Is there an alternative?
The classic bathroom tile floor is a thing of the past. Today, modern coatings such as self-leveling or 3D floors, anti-slip coatings "Stone Carpet" are in increasing demand.
All of these floors are ideal waterproofing materials in themselves, the properties (water-repellent) of which are provided by their monolithic structure and strength. However, the installation of such coatings will require quite serious financial investments. If anyare available, everything is fine - you can create an ultra-modern design in the bathroom. Otherwise, the good old tile on the floor and walls will create an atmosphere of coziness and comfort.
