A real bathhouse should be wooden from floor to ceiling, and in the absence of experience in construction, this can be a real problem. Floors are especially vulnerable because they come into direct contact with water. Boards rot very quickly at constant humidity. How to make the floors in the bath so that they last as long as possible? The experience gained by generations of builders and some modern materials will help here.
Read in the article
- 1 Why do the boards on the floor of the bath rot quickly
- 2 How to process boards in a bath
- 3 Constructive techniques for dry floors in the bath
Why do the boards on the floor of the bath rot quickly
By itself, water cannot do significant harm to wood. The only trouble is that in a humid environment various fungi multiply rapidly, but they are already capable of destroying fibers.
Covering the wood with a protective compound such as paint will not solve the problem. Moisture will still be absorbed, and the boards will dry out longer.
Another reason for the appearance of foci of rot is the place of contact of the boards with the logs or the floor. There is no natural ventilation here, so moisture lingers much longer, and when the entire floor dries out, it is in such places that rot will still form.
How to process boards in a bath
Many people recommend using flaxseed oil for this purpose. Indeed, this oil perfectly protects wood from moisture, penetrates deeply and is quickly absorbed. But! This impregnation option is good if you do not plan to heat the wood later. In a heated bath, such floors emit a pungent smell of fish oil, which does not disappear for years.
In this case, it is better to turn to modern materials for wood processing. Now on sale you will find a wide range of different impregnations with antiseptic additives. They are completely odorless and do not stain wood. If you are not stingy and purchase a quality composition from Tikkuril, Pinotex or Nortex, you will not have to worry about rot for a very long time.
Constructive techniques for dry floors in the bath
In order for the floors in the bath to dry out quickly, first of all, you need to eliminate stagnant water. It's not a good idea to just leave the water to soak into the soil, no one does that anymore. A concrete trough should be made with a drain and a pipe that diverts water to a drain pit. And so that the bath does not smell like sewage, an ordinary rubber ball is placed in the place of the drain. It rises on the water during bath procedures and descends, closing the shower after the water has left.
The second important point is ventilation. If the bath is airtight, and you closed it after use, not only the floors will not dry out for a long time, but the wall and ceiling cladding may also suffer. Ideally, ventilation holes should be made under the floors.
Another simple technique is to make the floor boards not perfectly even, but slightly "humped", so the water will not stagnate on their surface and will drain faster into the cracks.
And finally - the old masters never nailed the floors in the bathhouse to the logs. This simple trick will solve the joint problem. Many now, instead of a log made of wood, they put a profile pipe.
And a few more recommendations from professionals for the arrangement of bathroom floors:
How did you solve the problem of floors in the bath? Share your experience in the comments!
