Waterproofing the bathroom is a necessary part of the stage-by-stage renovation in the apartment. When repairing and installing in plumbing rooms, care must be taken to ensure that they are protected from water penetration to the floor and walls, in order to avoid moisture entering neighboring rooms.

Materials for waterproofing the bathroom

For waterproofing in the sanitary room, two main types of materials are used: coating and pasting. The type of material selected depends on the type of work surface and the timing of the task to be performed.

In case of gluing, roll materials, made on the basis of bitumen with addition of polymers of SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) and APP (atactic polypropylene) are traditionally used. They are also reinforced with fiberglass or polyester. Can be weldable (using a burner for laying) or self-adhesive (modern and more convenient to install).

Advantages of this type of waterproofing plumbing premises are its high reliability, durability, low cost and availability of materials. A disadvantage is the complexity of the installation and strict requirements to the quality of the substrate. That's why in recent years, more and more often waterproofing the bathroom is done with lubricating materials.

In turn, lubricating mastics are bitumen, polymer and cement-polymer.

The most used bituminous mastics. They are applied by several layers on a waterproofed substrate and covered with a cementitious screed for reliable protection against damage. This type of lubricant has excellent adhesion to the base, increased resistance to external influences and high elasticity.

Polymeric compositions are dry building mixtures made on the basis of cement with the addition of polymeric substances. Such mixtures can be one-component and two-component. The first contain all the necessary elements to ensure that after applying them to the surface and solidification formed a reliable waterproofing the bathroom. The second group of dry materials does not have all the necessary substances in the composition, therefore before application it requires mixing with a special emulsion. Advantages of polymeric compositions consist in simplicity of use, after all work with them is almost identical to work with usual plaster; In great elasticity and high strength. In addition, they do not require additional screed.

As for polymeric waterproofing mastics, they have also proven themselves well, and with their application waterproofing of bathrooms is often performed. They are solutions of polymers in water or organic solvents. They need to be applied in several layers, after which they adhere well to the waterproof surface, penetrating deep into it and creating a waterproof barrier in it, and after complete drying they create a waterproof, elastic film that does not let even water vapor pass .

Surface preparation before waterproofing works

Before starting work, it is necessary to degrease the surface of the substrate and remove dirt and dust from it, which can degrade adhesion. Then the substrate must be treated with a primer.

If the base is uneven (permissible level fluctuations up to 2 mm), then leveling screeds (gypsum, cement-sand, gypsum-sandwich) are applied, which are laid with strips 2-3 meters wide using guide beacons. Before applying cement-polymer solutions on porous surfaces to prevent very rapid drying of the mixture, the base is moistened with clean water using a sponge or spray. The waterproofing of the bathroom starts only after all horizontal and vertical joints have been glued with a sealing tape.

If a "warm floor" is installed in the room, the waterproofing in the bathroom is carried out mainly with elastic coating materials that withstand the influence of high temperatures.