Walls in the bathroom - what is better to do?

Often during the construction of apartments or during their redevelopment, there is a desire to equip the bathroom more convenient and modern, and often to make it bigger. To do this, often change the layout and rebuild the walls in the bathroom. From what it is better to make such changes, namely to start building from scratch - not everyone knows. Because of this, the work is delayed, it does not work out, and someone does not begin to translate plans into reality in general. It is for those who want to change the layout of the bathroom and rebuild the wall from scratch to the last stage - cladding, we recommend reading this article.

to contents ↑

Some legal features

In most apartments, especially old buildings, the bathroom and toilet are separated by a wall. Very often it is from this partition that they want to get rid of or remake this design, for which it will still have to be demolished. And the demolition of the wall in an apartment building needs legal registration.

Before you do something in real life, you need to document the changes. To do this, you will need:

1. Have a ready-made reconstruction project, carried out in accordance with the prescribed standards, licensed by the design organization.
2. With the documents mentioned above, apply for permission to repair work on redevelopment.
3. Only after obtaining permission from the interdepartmental commission, which consists of a sanitary and epidemiological station, energy supply companies, a fire department and a housing balancer, can you start repairs.

to contents ↑

Bath Wall Requirements

When deciding what to make a wall in the bathroom from, you need to take into account the following feature: the law indicates some characteristics that must necessarily be inherent in the design as a whole and the materials separately.

The following parameters are specified in the standards:

• Load bearing capacity. Walls must withstand the stress of trim and other equipment that can be attached to it. Too thin a structure can easily collapse, and too thick will set an additional load on concrete floors between floors.

Important! Such a load must not exceed a value of 500 kg / m2.

• Soundproofing properties. The ability to absorb sound and resonance phenomena that often occur in pipelines and sewer channels, as well as in ventilation, is necessary for the supporting structures of the house.

Important! The standards indicate that this characteristic should have indicators at least 47 dB.

• Waterproofing properties. Since this is a room with high humidity, you can not do without this characteristic. In such conditions, there is an increased risk of mold and mildew, which not only look not aesthetically pleasing, but are also dangerous for materials, and most importantly, your life. Therefore, it is so important to choose materials that are not susceptible to steam and moisture, as well as temperature.
• Fire fighting properties. The wall thickness, as indicated in the fire regulations, must be such as to withstand an open flame for at least 15 minutes.

to contents ↑

Wall construction features, depending on placement

Basically, there are two types of placement of a bathroom in houses:

1. In old apartments, especially in Soviet-built houses, the bathroom and toilet are located next to the corridor and kitchen. Very often they had common walls.
2. In new buildings, there is often more than one bathroom, which can be housed in the old fashioned way, and near the bedroom.

When choosing what to finish the walls in the bathroom from, the placement of this room in the house should be taken into account. Based on this:

• The partition between the bathroom and the kitchen must be adapted so that kitchen shelves and other utensils are placed on it. The thickness of such a design should be at least 100 mm, and this does not depend on the type of materials used.

Important! If a drywall construction is used for its construction, then the installation is done “in two sheets” with the overlap of all joints.

• The wall between the bathroom and the corridor most often has doorways, so its thickness corresponds to the thickness of the door frame. This type of wall laying is usually additionally reinforced with reinforcing mesh along the entire length of the structure.
• Between the bathroom and the living room, the wall must have good sound insulation and sufficient load-bearing properties. Often additional wall treatment is required to improve sound insulation.
• In some cases, the wall between the bathroom and the toilet is a carrier, which means it is not recommended to reduce its thickness and change its location. However, if you received permission to demolish it, then the redevelopment may be according to your criteria. Very often this wall is made of purely decorative options, and an unusual shape.

Important! Using different materials to build one bathroom is not only illogical, but also incorrect from the point of view of installation. That is why it is worth choosing the most suitable option that meets all the above criteria. The wall thickness is calculated taking into account the layer of plaster and facing materials.

to contents ↑

Selection of building materials

Having decided on what requirements a wall should meet, let's talk about what materials to consider, choosing what to make walls in the bathroom from, so that it is cheap. Fortunately, in the modern market there are many different options for building materials, you may want to combine. Among them:

• Clay and silicate brick.
• Porous blocks.
• Plaster and plasterboard sheets.

Let's talk about them in more detail.

Brick

Since ancient times, brick has been the main building material for walling, and when a construction was made between the kitchen and the bathroom, this was the only option to comply with all the requirements of the gas company.

The masonry of this material has excellent bearing capacity, its weight is quite close to the limit value of 500 kg / m2. If at the same time you try to reduce weight using a ceramic hollow brick, the wall loses its soundproofing properties too.

Important! Using porous brick is unreasonably expensive, plus it is quite difficult to fix anything on it.

Porous blocks

An alternative to the previous material is porous building blocks, which are made of cellular concrete, and gas silicate blocks can also serve as a replacement for bricks. The advantage of such materials is that the weight of such a masonry is much less than brick, about 12 times. But such a material has sufficient bearing capacity in order to use it for the walls of the bathroom.

Important! There is a condition for the use of such material - mandatory plastering of the walls. Special masonry fasteners are also required because the anchor holding strength for attachments in porous blocks is lower than in brick.

Gypsum blocks

Such blocks gained their fame due to the fact that they occupy a middle position between heavy bricks and light porous materials, which, unfortunately, are less durable.Choosing what to make the walls of the bathroom from, you should pay attention to this material, because:

• It is lighter than brick.
• You do not have to carry out mandatory plastering work.
• Due to the special shape of the edges, walls with this material are faster to build than any other material.

Important! The only drawback of this material is its lack of soundproofing ability. But it is easy to fix with other sound-absorbing materials.

Drywall

At the moment, drywall sheets are the most popular option for this type of work. The whole attraction of wall mounting with such material is that it is inexpensive, with its help a simple person can build a wall without special qualifications. A properly constructed wall made of moisture-proof drywall is not inferior in quality to other building materials. Heavy equipment is mounted on it, provided that the mounting places are reinforced with a special frame.

Important! If the overall thickness is slightly increased, then on the basis of the gypsum plasterboard one can make internal niches and place sliding doors there, which will save space inside the apartment.

to contents ↑

Wall construction procedure

When you have already decided what to make the walls of the bathroom from, it's time to start the installation itself. Stick to these tips to get the job done:

1. When designing the reconstruction, determine the bearing capacity of the floor. It is also necessary to check the presence or absence of waterproofing and other systems.
2. If you are reconstructing an old building, identify finishing materials.
3. Next, select building materials, determine the necessary qualifications of builders. Otherwise, the quality of work can be very doubtful.
4. Now dismantle the old walls, while being careful and careful, because you can not lower the structural strength of adjacent walls.
5. The next step is to create a small indentation and better base bearing power. To do this, fill the reinforced base on a concrete base.
6. Depending on the selected material, perform the installation, not forgetting that the wall is a common element for two rooms, and should be laid out with dressing of seams.
7. During the construction of the wall, be sure to double-check the verticality of the structure, as well as the diagonals between opposite corners.
8. Next, waterproof the floor. The junction on the walls should be at least 15 cm in height. This will create a very reliable barrier against water.

Adhering to such simple rules, you can easily make the walls in the bathroom strong and reliable. Now, when the main structure is laid, we’ll talk in more detail about the interior of the room. To erect a wall is half the battle; you still need to make the room attractive. Let's talk about how to decorate the walls in the bathroom. What it is better to do surface cladding, how to prepare it for this.

to contents ↑

Wall Finishing Methods

The bathroom is a distinctive room with its own specific microclimate. Therefore, choosing the first option you like facing will not work. In order for the coating to serve you for a long time, you must be guided by certain criteria when choosing:

1. Hygiene The bathroom is, first of all, the place in which many keep themselves clean. So - the room itself should be clean and safe for humans.
2. Moisture resistance. The constant influence of moisture on the coating is an integral part of this room, and therefore, if you want the repair to be durable, moisture resistance is one of those criteria that you should definitely pay attention to.
3. Durability. Agree, to make repairs in the bathroom every year, or even six months - not a very bright prospect. Therefore, the material must be durable.
4. Ease of care. The constant influence of moisture and other factors suggests that the walls will not be very clean.And you can be sure that no hostess wants to wash the walls for half a day.
5. Strength. The material must be resistant to mechanical and chemical damage.
6. Decorativeness. Of course, a dull, tastelessly designed bathroom will never bring pleasure to its owner. But this very room often helps to relieve stress and relax from the bustle.

Now that we have decided what to be guided by when choosing, we’ll talk about which of the most popular options the modern market of facing materials offers us.

Tile

A classic and widespread version of the walls in the bathroom. The variety of textures and colors is impressive. It also has all the characteristics in accordance with the criteria described above.

Important! The greatest advantage of this finishing material is its versatility. Tiles are suitable for both walls and floor, ceiling. Among the shortcomings highlight the high cost and complexity of installation.

Paint

Painting the walls in the bathroom is a great finish when the walls are perfectly aligned with putty. The market offers a huge number of different colors for the bathroom, the strength of which is difficult to dispute:

• silicone paints;
• latex water dispersible.

Choosing what to make the walls of the bathroom cheaper, you obviously will not miss, choosing the paint.

Important! The greatest advantage of the paint is its maintainability - if a small scratch forms, then you can restore the wall to its former freshness in 5 minutes.

Wallpaper

Do not be surprised at this option. Today, there are many different options for wallpaper that calmly withstand the humid climate of the bathroom. Among them:

• Washable.
• Vinyl.
• Self adhesive.
• Cullet.

Among the options that exist, everyone will find something to their liking, both in terms of design, and in terms of material, budget.

Important! The downside is that under the wallpaper you need to carefully prepare the walls, as well as under the paint.

Plastic

For those who do not want to level the walls, there is this option. The installation of plastic panels on the crate allows you to design a stylish interior without a lot of time. This is also a budget option, which has many advantages:

• Easy installation.
• A large assortment.
• Moisture resistance.
• Heat resistance.
• Strength.
• The ability to create a frame and hide the pipe system inside.
• Antisepticity.

Important! Such finishes are not worth the drawbacks.

Drywall

Universal material. It is used both in construction and for decoration. For the bathroom, specially treated water-repellent drywall sheets are often used. The nuance of this option is that with it, only a rough finish is performed. Namely:

1. Alignment of the walls.
2. Installation of multi-level structures with complex shapes.
3. The construction of complex architectural elements.

Important! When installing drywall, you need to decorate it with tiles, paint or wallpaper. But in this case it will be much easier than on bare walls.

to contents ↑

A variety of design solutions

Finally, let's talk about how to decorate the interior so that it looks modern and impressive. Here are some suggestions:

1. Natural marble is always impressive. It is used as an accent element of decor, due to its high cost.
2. Mosaic is always in fashion. Therefore, do not be afraid to experiment by creating mosaic panels in your home. It always looks modern and spectacular.
3. An interesting effect is created by glass tiles decorated with holographic drawings.
4. If you like frequent changes, and repairs are in your mood, then self-adhesive film is exactly your design option.
5. The elegance of the bathroom will give decorative plaster, varnished.
6. If your room is small and you do not have enough space, use a mirror tile combining it with other material.This option increases the visual perception of the room.
7. Incredibly, modern craftsmen even use linoleum for wall decoration, which undergoes special processing. This material is fixed on a special glue, it lasts a very long time.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

We talked about using what materials to build walls in the bathroom, what is better to make the cladding, how not to miss the design. Now, guided by our advice, you can create your own unique interior of the bathroom, which means you can spend time in it comfortably, relieving stress, fatigue, saturated with vigor and energy.