WHAT HAPPENS IN WET WASHROOMS (wet rooms)?
Since nobody in Estonia has taken the trouble of developing any norms for prevention of damage caused by moisture in buildings in the course of their further exploitation, we are mediating the norms and recommendations developed in Finland by construction companies and the Ministry of Environment under the pressure exerted by local consumers.
In Finland, the respective regulations of the Ministry of Environment were issued as early as at the beginning of 1998. Part 2 of the regulations under the title of "Moisture, regulations and guidelines 1998" defines the terms in use, such as the washroom (wet room), moisture isolation (moisture barrier), water isolation (water barrier) and hydrostatic pressure isolation (hydrostatic pressure barrier). In Article 7 of the Appendix, there are three regulations related to washrooms (wet rooms):
Design principles
Casting
Slopes and passages (läbiviigud) (eg. Isolation of floor wells, etc).
Mainly, Article 2 specifies some basic principles for the materials used in washrooms, but on the product level reference is made only to water isolation (=water barrier), but not to moisture isolation (= moisture barrier). Water isolation needs to be applied to the entire wall and floor surface (area). Moreover, the mechanical resistance and elasticity of the materials used must be taken into account. Article 3 focusses upon water isolation, connections and on careful sealing of them. In general, it is reasonable to use a suitable sealing mass, eg. MAPEGUM, to achieve a proper sealing in all parts. C2 does not specify any direct technical product requirements.
In Finland, another regulation pertaining to washrooms (wet rooms) "Moisture proof bathroom" that took effect in the summer of 1998, has evoked discussions. It is accompanied by a project that is aimed at finding out the tiling products, particularly product lines, available on the market. The MAPEI products imported by Heikki Haru OY (in Estonia, the reseller of MAPEI http://www.mapei.it is Plaadipunkt AS) are also included in the card index. The management of the project is made up of directors of construction companies and the necessary tests are performed by VTT Ehitustehnika. The testing is carried out in part according to European norms (standards) yet to be approved, including the ones regulating paintwork, in part according to other test methods applied in Sweden. The characteristics of the products vary essentially and water proofness alone can be improved by means of several different products. The main problem regarding such tests is highlighting the more relevant technical characteristics over operating characteristics of a substance and risks. Application of water isolation is a craft that stands a comparison to boat construction. Materials of technical quality are the starting point, while a good assembly ensures a definitive water barrier and a secure long-term final result. MAPEI products and tiling devices are definitely in conformity with the abovementioned regulations.
It can be said that construction of washrooms (wet rooms) is once again under the focus of authorities, builders as well as inhabitants. To sum it up, here is a quote from an article by an official of the Ministry of Environment: "Preparing rules and regulations has made us aware of the fact that no moisture and water isolation is perfect", in other words, the realization of the theory and practical aspects is still united and selected by humans.
