The bathroom in the apartment (or house) is that room, which is characterized by a rather specific operational mode. Condensate, splashes, accidentally spilled water that appeared as a result of temperature fluctuations - all these factors constantly and systematically test the wall and floor linings for strength, penetrate into technological joints.
Water, accumulating in the joints of structures under the tile, in the zones of connection and passage of pipes, creates the most comfortable conditions for living and reproduction of whole colonies of fungi and bacteria. The results of prolonged exposure to these "tenants" are damaged walls and ceilings of the premises, poisoning by toxins of the owners. In order to avoid all these horrors, a mandatory waterproofing of the bathroom under the tile is required. What is best suited for these purposes? It’s worth considering thoroughly.
The most requested materials
Water is destructive. And, probably, as long as humanity exists, it is just as opposed to the water element. To date, there are a variety of waterproofing materials. The types most requested by consumers are listed below:
- plates, panels to create a water-repellent facing layer;
- flexible materials that can be surfaced or glued;
- painting materials and paste-like mixtures for plastering (the walls and floor in the bathroom so treated are covered with a waterproofing layer up to 1.5 cm thick);
- sprayed compositions form foam-cement or foam plastic barriers to water;
- special plaster waterproofing, 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 (the consequence is an increase in moisture protective properties and strength).
Criterias of choice
Depending on the technical characteristics of the room in which the work will be carried out, they choose the type of one, and preferably two, materials that work perfectly in tandem. It can be quite difficult (especially not for a specialist) to decide on options that optimally solve the problem of waterproofing a bathroom. However, keep in mind the following:
- moisture protection of sanitary premises in the house does not require the same powerful waterproofing as the foundation of the structure;
- it must be borne in mind that if the bathroom is waterproofed with its own hands, the technology should not be too complicated;
- the price of the issue also matters, because consumables can cost very, very expensive.
Comparing all these factors, as a rule, we can conclude that the most acceptable for waterproofing the bathroom and the bathroom will be plastering and pasting. To carry out these types of work today, a mass of a wide variety of materials and finished products are produced, differing from each other in composition, price and technology.
Definition of the front of work
There are a great many options for carrying out moisture protection work in sanitary facilities. There are no fewer of them than the materials known and available today, with the help of which a waterproofing of a bathroom under a tile is carried out. Which is better, what should be preferred?
There are three fundamental factors that determine the areas of work and the area to be processed. In the bathroom you can protect from the damaging effects of water:
- only a horizontal surface (floor), having certainly formed small sides (≈ 10 cm) along the walls;
- the floor and areas around the sanitary equipment (bathtub, showers, washbasins, etc.);
- the floor and walls are completely, with the processing of partitions along the entire height.
The need to give preference to any one type of waterproofing is associated with the way in which a water-repellent barrier is created. The same material can be applied completely differently to the surface horizontally vertically.
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 the surface protected from moisture.
If the waterproofing of the bathroom is carried out with plastering, the materials are used in the following types:
- Painting, which create a thin protective film on the surface: bitumen diluted to a liquid state, the same type of mastic, water-repellent compounds for processing wooden 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 scraper.
- Bituminous mastics, pasty compositions are five on the basis of oxidized bitumen with the addition of modifying additives that minimize toxicity and increase elasticity and strength characteristics.
Coating waterproofing, creating a continuous seamless surface on the treated area, should be preferred in cases where screed must be filled in the bathroom.
Basic principles of coating
First you need to remove all construction debris and clean the surface from old, previously applied coatings, varnishes, paints and oils, and repair all existing damage. Next, it is necessary to expand at least 2 cm all the joints of the plates, panels, the interface line of the walls and floors. The finished longitudinal gates 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 on top of the cord. The next stage is the actual coating of the surfaces planned for processing. The process of plastering ends to level and fill the screed.
It is permissible to replace the waterproofing cord with a silicone mass packaged in tubes. The process of filling the strobes with silicone should go on continuously, the resulting excess is cut off with a spatula.
Waterproofing by pasting
Any waterproof coating mounted from several layers of special materials (films, sheets, rolls) with the use of special adhesive compositions can be called Oklakei waterproofing. Overlapping any waterproofing materials is a prerequisite in order to get a high-quality waterproofing of the bathroom under the tile.
What is better to choose as a bonding factor? Often use the good old way of heating the edges of glued materials with a gas burner. However, this is not too safe.
On the contrary, the modern market is saturated with various kinds of adhesive compounds. There are even those that do not require heating before use. One of the newest is polyurethane mastic “Unigex-2”. The whole cooking technology consists in mixing the two components and - the glue is ready for use. Using a spatula, it is applied to the edge of the sheet, and the next coating sheet is overlapped. This glue also has sealant properties.
Pros and cons of pasting
Before making waterproofing in the bathroom by gluing, it is necessary to evaluate the positive and negative sides of this process. Of course, the attractive side is the budget price. Of the negative aspects, it is worth paying attention to the fact that it will be necessary to carry out measurements first, and then cut the material.
Further, the surface to be protected should not have large differences in height - 2 mm per 2 meters of length is permissible. For the surfaced option, the use of a burner will be required, and the work will be quite difficult, since most of the bathrooms occupy a small area. In addition to all of the above, it should be noted that the flooring of the canvases of the material and the thorough alignment of angles are quite laborious processes. Without proper skills, the waterproofing material can be overheated with a burner or torn when forming an angle.
Technology of work
What work needs to be done before waterproofing the bathroom under the tile? Which is better - do it all yourself or invite a wizard? Naturally, if you have the skills, it will be cheaper to do everything yourself.
Preliminarily, the surfaces are leveled and the screeds and plasters are completely dried. Next, remove all garbage (dust, specks, etc.) and cover the surface with soil twice. Then, all butt joints are waterproofed and, if necessary, mastic or polymer glue is applied. Cut the materials according to preliminary measurements and allow them to mature for at least a day.
Next, you can begin the gluing process. The first sheet is glued as convenient to the master. From what place the work will start, it does not matter. The edges of each subsequent sheet are coated with glue and overlapped (no more than 20 cm) on the previous sheet. After the end of the first layer, sides are formed to protect the areas of the bathroom, shower, sink, etc. The waterproofing on the walls is glued from bottom to top. The strips of the second waterproofing layer are glued across the previous one.
Waterproofing sanitary facilities in a wooden house
The waterproofing of the bathroom in a wooden house has its own specifics. A tree is not “friendly” with water, and if proper waterproofing is not taken into account, mold will quickly appear in the bathroom, wooden interior parts will deform and quickly become worthless.
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, when condensed, warm steam settles in the form of drops of water.
For waterproofing works in wooden houses, special water-repellent varnish coatings are most often used that effectively protect a natural tree from deformation.
Price range
With regard to investment, it is certainly more profitable to purchase and use waterproofing coating materials for repair, the price of which is much lower than for gluing ones. For example, a package of 15 kg of bituminous insulating mastic will cost the consumer 240-250 rubles. If you keep 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 we take into account that the work can be done independently, fortunately, no special skills are required and the specialist can not be invited (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. This 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 tiled floor in the bathroom is a thing of the past. Today, modern coatings such as bulk or 3D floors, anti-slip coatings "Stone Carpet" are in great demand.
All these floors themselves represent ideal waterproofing materials, the properties (water repellent) of which are ensured by their monolithic structure and strength. However, the device of such coatings will require quite serious financial investments. If any, everything is fine - you can create an ultramodern design in the bathroom. Otherwise, the good old tiles on the floor and walls will create an atmosphere of coziness and comfort.