Waterproofing a bathroom under tiles: which is better? DIY device and materials

Why do you need waterproofing your bathroom floor

High humidity, temperature drops, periodic formation of steam and condensation - all this has an adverse effect on the finish, bathroom furnishings, and floors. Moisture penetrates through the seams under the tiles, accumulates under the tiles, in the places of laying and joints of pipes and communications, creating comfortable conditions for the emergence and growth of mold, fungi and harmful bacteria.

Waterproofing is needed to protect the concrete base of the bathroom from the adverse effects of moisture. The waterproofing layer serves as a guarantee of the safety of the walls, ceiling and floor in the event of emergency situations associated with leaks, flooding and pipe breaks.

Bathroom waterproofing: types of materials

Materials for waterproofing bathroom floors and walls are very diverse. The traditional composition for waterproofing is bitumen, which is also impregnated with gluing materials, but modern industry offers many other options. Their most popular types:

• lubricants in the form of mastic;
• pasting roll materials with waterproofing impregnation;
• pasty (for example, polymer-cement compositions, such as "Ceresit" waterproofing) and liquid compositions;
• penetrating waterproofing compoundsthat change the structure of porous materials (for example, concrete);
• dry mixtures for the manufacture of solutions;
• waterproofing plaster, designed not only for insulation, but also for leveling surfaces;
• sprayed compounds on a rubber or polymer base, after hardening, creating a hydro-barrier in the form of a film.

They have their own characteristics, on which the scope of their application depends.

Waterproofing a bathroom under tiles: which is better to choose

The main selection criterion is the technical characteristics of the premises. Please note the following:

• a bathroom for protection from moisture does not require such a powerful waterproofing as foundation protection;
• the cost of materials is of no small importance: they can be very expensive;
• the technology of work should not be too complicated if the goal is to make the waterproofing of the bathroom under the tiles with your own hands.

Waterproofing mixtures are divided into one-component and two-component. There is no fundamental difference between them: the former are diluted with water, and the two-component mixture is made using a polymer emulsion.

Bathroom waterproofing technology under tiles

For bathrooms, gluing or coating materials based on bitumen, latex (for example, Knauf Flechendicht waterproofing) or polymers are most often used. They may differ in composition, application technology and price, but the basic principles for determining the scope of work and choosing a specific type of protective substance are the same.

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Is it better to protect against all-pervading water: only parts of the floor or its entire area? Do walls and other surfaces need to be treated? There are three ways to distribute the waterproofing layer:

1. Only on the floor surface with the formation of sides on walls about 20 cm high.
2. On the floor and sections of the walls surrounding the plumbing.
3. On the floor and walls, processing vertical surfaces along the entire height.

At the same time, sometimes the same type of material has to be applied to horizontal and vertical surfaces in different ways. This should be taken into account when choosing a waterproofing technology.

Bathroom waterproofing coating

This type of protective coating is performed by applying a plastic compound. Its thickness, depending on the number of applied layers, can be different: from 1 mm to several cm. The main advantage of coating waterproofing is that when using it, a seamless, durable, but elastic coating is created. The plus is that it does not need a perfectly flat surface and can be applied to any substrate. The use of coating compounds as a waterproofing of the floor under the tiles in the bathroom is preferable in cases where it is necessary to fill the screed.

Helpful advice! In general, for a waterproofing layer with a thickness of 2 mm by 1 m² the surface will need 3.2 kg of bituminous mastic. Therefore, its use is one of the most budgetary options.

The specific type of material depends on the place of its use:

1. On horizontal surfaces - bitumen and bitumen-polymer mastics, pastes based on oxidized bitumen, modified with additives to increase elasticity and strength with a decrease in toxicity.
2. Compounds that create a thin film on the surface - bitumen or mastic diluted to the form of a liquid, water-repellent varnishes or paints for wood or metal elements. These substances are simply poured onto the floor and evenly spread with a rubber spatula; on other surfaces they are applied with a brush or roller in two layers.

Tile waterproofing for the bathroom

The glued waterproofing is made of a waterproof coating in the form of a film, sheets or rolls, fixed in several layers using special adhesive mixtures.To obtain tight seams, the sheets are overlapped.

Important! Sometimes, to fix the sheets of pasting waterproofing, heating of their edges with a gas burner is used, but this method is unsafe.

The advantage of waterproofing with pasting is the low cost of the material. However, you will need to calculate its amount, accurate cutting, and flooring and alignment of panels is a rather time-consuming process. After cutting, the glued material should lie flat for a day in a straightened form.

The surfaces are leveled and after complete drying of the screed and plaster, they are covered with a primer, all seams are waterproofed and, if necessary, polymer glue is applied. Then they begin to lay the sheets - from anywhere on the floor. After the formation of the first layer of waterproofing, bumpers are arranged, overlapping the walls, with a height of about 20 cm. Additional protection of areas adjacent to sanitary equipment is also possible. When pasting walls, the sheets are applied from bottom to top.

Do-it-yourself waterproofing in the bathroom

Video and photo instructions, distributed on the Internet, will help not only to choose insulating materials, but also to study the technology of their application.

Before starting work on waterproofing, you need to free the room from construction debris and clean the surfaces from existing coatings, repairing damage. If the walls are leveled, it is necessary to maintain an interval of two weeks before waterproofing.

Waterproofing the floor under the tiles

Although 3D or self-leveling floor, as well as anti-slip "stone carpet" themselves are ideal as a waterproofing coating and are spreading more and more (despite the high cost), tile finishing remains traditional.

Before starting work, all joining lines of walls and ceilings, as well as seams of panels and slabs, are expanded to 2 cm. Longitudinal grooves and joints in the corners are degreased and filled with a self-adhesive waterproofing cord or silicone mass, and then sealed with a waterproofing tape.

Then the floor, walls, ceiling and all corners should be wiped with a solution against fungus and mildew.

Helpful advice! The simplest antiseptic solution can be prepared by yourself by mixing water, medical and ammonia.

First, the walls are treated with a waterproofing compound. Do this with a brush, applying the mixture only with vertical or horizontal strokes. After that, they begin to process the floor. For its preparation, gasoline or another strong solvent is often used. The mortar for the floor is more liquid than for the walls, it is applied with a brush or roller.

Important! The room in which the work is going on must be constantly ventilated. In order to avoid poisoning with vapors of the mixture, it is advisable to use a protective mask.

After all surfaces have been processed the required number of times, the room is finally ventilated and dried for 24 hours. In this case, the floor should not be walked on, and it should also be protected from dust, moisture and foreign objects. Then you can start pouring the screed and finishing work.

Advice! To obtain perfectly flat vertical surfaces, walls treated with waterproofing can be sheathed with moisture-resistant plasterboard.

Waterproofing wooden floor in the bathroom

The materials for waterproofing a wooden bathroom are specific. It is recommended to use a mixture of liquid rubber with an activator.

Helpful advice! In a bathroom with a wooden finish, in addition to the usual waterproofing layer, an external hydrophobic coating should be used.

Wooden cladding must be insulated very carefully in order to protect it from swelling, mold and decay, additionally treated with water-repellent varnishes, paints or impregnations to protect against condensation.

A brief sequence of works on waterproofing a wooden floor is as follows:

1. Clean the subfloor, lay logs, vapor barrier film and insulation boards on it. Seal joints between joists and slabs sealant... If mineral mats are used as insulation, a layer of waterproof plywood should be placed on top.
2. Apply waterproofing using a roller. After the first layer has dried, check it for uniformity and smoothness, if necessary add a second one.
3. Install the topcoat.

Waterproofing in this way can be arranged in particularly humid rooms, incl. in saunas and swimming pools.

Shower waterproofing without tray

Shower room without a pallet requires a special approach to waterproofing:

1. Device drain for water drain... The surface of the drain body is brought out slightly below the level of the finished floor: depending on the location of the drain, the slope is made from 2 to 3%.
2. The drainage pipe is connected to the sewer and is fixed with concrete.
3. The seams between the ladder and the floor are filled with an elastic profile and treated with waterproof glue.
4. Next, the actual waterproofing of the room with pasting materials is performed.

Almost all waterproofing work can be done independently, without the involvement of specialists. Moreover, the cost of most materials is low. Careful adherence to the technology will help to reliably protect the sanitary facility room from excessive moisture and even leaks and floods.