The bathroom in an apartment (or house) is a room that is characterized by a rather specific operating regime. Condensation that appears as a result of temperature fluctuations, splashes, accidentally spilled water - all these factors constantly and systematically test the strength of wall and floor cladding and penetrate into technological seams.
Water, accumulating at the joints of structures under the tiles, in the areas of connection and passage of pipes, creates the most comfortable conditions for entire colonies of fungi and bacteria to live and reproduce. The results of long-term exposure to these “tenants” are damaged walls and ceilings of the room itself, and poisoning of the owners with toxins. In order to avoid all these horrors, mandatory waterproofing of the bathroom under the tiles is required. What is best for these purposes? This is worth thinking about thoroughly.
The most popular materials
Water has destructive power. And, probably, as long as humanity has existed, it has been resisting the water element for as long. To date, there are a variety of types most in demand by consumers are given below:
Plates, panels for creating a water-repellent facing layer;
Flexible materials that can be fused or glued;
Painting materials and paste mixtures for coating (walls and bathroom floors treated in this way are covered with a layer of waterproofing up to 1.5 cm thick);
Sprayed compounds form foam-cement or foam barriers to water;
Special plaster waterproofs and at the same time levels 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 increased moisture-proof properties and strength).
Criterias of choice
Depending on the technical characteristics of the room in which the work will be carried out, choose the type of one, or better yet, two materials that work well in tandem. It can be quite difficult (especially for a non-specialist) to decide on the options that will best solve the problem of waterproofing a bathroom. However, the following must be kept in mind:
Moisture protection of sanitary premises in a house does not require the same powerful waterproofing as the foundation of a building;
It must be borne in mind that if you waterproof the bathroom yourself, the technology should not be too complicated;
The price of the issue also matters, since consumables can be very, very expensive.
By comparing all these factors, as a rule, we can conclude that coating and pasting will be the most suitable for waterproofing a bathroom and toilet. To perform these types of work, today a wide variety of materials and finished products are produced, differing from each other in composition, price and technology.
Determining the scope of work
There are a great variety of options for carrying out moisture protection work in sanitary premises. There are no fewer of them than the materials known and available today that are used to waterproof a bathroom under tiles. What is better, what to give preference to?
There are three fundamental factors that determine the work areas and the area to be processed. In the bathroom you can protect from the destructive effects of water:
Only the horizontal surface (floor), necessarily forming small sides (≈ 10 cm) along the walls;
Floor and areas around sanitary equipment (bathtubs, showers, washbasins, etc.);
The floor and walls are complete, with partitions processed along the entire height.
The need to give preference in advance to one type of waterproofing is related to the method in which the water-repellent barrier will be created. The same material can be applied horizontally and vertically to surfaces 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 the surface protected from moisture.
If waterproofing a bathroom is carried out by coating, the following types of materials are used:
Painting agents that create a thin protective film on the surface: bitumen diluted to a liquid state, the same type of mastic, water-repellent compounds for treating wooden and metal structures (varnishes, paints). On vertical surfaces such materials are applied in two layers using a brush or roller. The composition is simply poured onto the floor and evenly distributed using a squeegee scraper.
Bitumen mastics, paste-like compositions based on oxidized bitumen with the addition of modifying additives that minimize toxicity and increase elasticity and strength characteristics.
Coating 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, and repair any existing damage. Next, it is necessary to widen all joints of slabs, panels, and the connecting lines of walls and ceilings by at least 2 cm. The finished longitudinal grooves are degreased, and a self-adhesive waterproofing cord is placed in them (the floating floor in the bathroom is also treated). Next, according to the instructions, a special coating is glued over the cord. The next stage is the actual coating of the surfaces planned for processing. The process ends with plastering for leveling and pouring the screed.
It is permissible to replace the waterproofing cord with silicone mass, packaged in tubes. The process of filling the grooves with silicone must be continuous; the resulting excess is cut off with a spatula.
Waterproofing by gluing
Adhesive waterproofing can be called any waterproof coating mounted from several layers of special materials (film, sheets, rolls) using special adhesives. Laying any waterproofing materials overlapping is a necessary condition in order to obtain high-quality waterproofing of the bathroom under the tiles.
What is better to choose as a gluing factor? They often use the good old method of heating the edges of the materials being glued together with a gas torch. However, this is not very safe.
On the contrary, the modern market is saturated with various types of adhesive compositions. There are even some that do not require heating before use. One of the newest is the polyurethane mastic “Unigex-2”. The entire preparation technology consists of mixing two components and the glue is ready for use. Using a spatula, it is applied to the edge of the sheet, and the next sheet of coating is laid overlapping. This glue also has the properties of a sealant.
Pros and cons of pasting
Before you waterproof your bathroom using the gluing method, you need to evaluate the positive and negative aspects of this process. Of course, the attractive side is the budget price. One of the negative aspects is that you should pay attention to the fact that you will need to take preliminary 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 acceptable. The weld-on option will require the use of a torch, and the work will be quite complex, since most bathrooms occupy a small area. In addition to all of the above, it should be noted that laying sheets of material and thoroughly aligning corners are quite labor-intensive processes. Without the proper skills, the waterproofing material can be overheated with a burner or torn when forming a corner.
Work technology
What work needs to be done before waterproofing a bathroom under tiles? What is better - to do everything yourself or to invite a specialist? Naturally, if you have the skills, it will be cheaper to do everything yourself.
First, the surfaces are leveled and the screed and plaster are completely dry. Next, remove all debris (dust, debris, etc.) and cover the surfaces twice with soil. Then all butt seams are waterproofed and, if necessary, mastic or polymer glue is applied. The materials are cut out according to preliminary measurements and allowed to rest for at least a day.
Next, you can begin the gluing process. The first sheet is glued in a way that is convenient for the master. It doesn’t matter where the work will start. The edges of each subsequent sheet are coated with glue and overlapped (no more than 20 cm) on the previous sheet. After finishing the first layer, sides are formed to protect areas of the bathroom, shower, sink, etc. Waterproofing on the walls is glued from the bottom up. The strips of the second layer of waterproofing are glued across the previous one.
Waterproofing sanitary premises 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 taken care of properly, mold will quickly appear in the bathroom, the wooden interior parts will be deformed and quickly become unusable.
Since the floors of the home are made of wood, it is important to pay attention to their treatment with moisture-proofing agents. You also need to remember about careful treatment of the ceiling, on which, when condensing, warm steam settles in the form of water droplets.
For waterproofing work in wooden houses, special water-repellent varnish coatings are most often used, which effectively protect natural wood from deformation.
Price range
As for capital investments, it is, of course, more profitable to purchase and use coating waterproofing materials for repairs, the price of which is much lower than that of lining materials. For example, a package of 15 kg of bitumen insulating mastic will cost the consumer 240-250 rubles. If you keep in mind that to install a waterproofing layer 2 mm thick you will need 3.2 kg of material per square meter. surfaces, 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 don’t have to invite a specialist (and don’t have to 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 materials from 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 version of a tiled floor in the bathroom is becoming a thing of the past. Today, modern coatings such as self-leveling or 3D floors and anti-slip “Stone Carpet” coatings are in increasing demand.
All these floors themselves are ideal waterproofing materials, the properties (water-repellent) of which are ensured by their monolithic structure and strength. However, the installation of such coatings will require quite serious financial investments. If there are any, everything is fine - you can create an ultra-modern design in the bathroom. Otherwise, good old tiles on the floor and walls will create an atmosphere of coziness and comfort.
