How to insulate a balcony

Today's balcony in many apartments turns into a full-fledged room, a functional space. This is especially true for small apartments, whose residents appreciate every centimeter. If the balcony is insulated, it becomes an office, pantry, resting place, mini greenhouse, dining room or extra bed. There are many options for its use. The main thing is to make work on its insulation quality. Only in this case it will be warm and cozy on the balcony.

In the warm season, the whole family can relax on the balcony, but when autumn comes, this room becomes useless. If it is insulated, the situation will change. Plus the fact that all the planned work is easy to do on your own. Additionally, a warm room is a space in which it is easy to create a small work area or a seating area. In addition, the presence of a warm balcony will automatically make the apartment more comfortable and warmer.You can attach it to the living room or kitchen, depending on its location. This will create extra space.

Before you do insulation or glazing, you need to consult a specialist. He will promptly tell you what kind of load a warm balcony can withstand, or whether it is worth strengthening it. If the base is a powerful concrete slab, the question of reinforcement does not arise. But the metal parapet, you need to strengthen with foam blocks or lightweight bricks made of ceramic material. It is also worth doing in the case of fragile fastening of reinforced concrete foundation.

For insulation can be used windows in wooden frames. They are eco-friendly, allow windows to "breathe", but costly. Aluminum-insulated windows with insulated polyamide tabs increase the room's thermal insulation. But the most optimal equipment will be PVC windows with double glazing, which reliably retain heat.

For the decoration of balconies or loggias today there are a lot of varieties of finishing materials, with the help of which they give even the smallest room an original and attractive look.The main thing - to make the right choice of material for decoration. For insulation, experts recommend using cork, plastic panels, clapboard with a wooden or plastic base, drywall, plaster, MDF panels, decorative stone, aluminum profile, penlex, polystyrene foam, penofol.

In the case of a non-insulated balcony, it is better to give preference to artificial stone, plastic frost-resistant wall paneling, cork panels or tiles. The most often used for finishing the following materials:

• This material is distinguished by the fact that it does not contain toxic substances, it is easy to process and is combined with other finishing materials in its design. Gypsum plasterboard can be plastered, painted, covered with wallpaper, sheathed with panels and clapboard. With the help of such a versatile material, it is enough just to turn the balcony into a full-fledged living room.

• A practical solution, but it is better not to use this material if the constant temperature on the balcony is below five degrees.This problem can be solved with the help of frost-resistant panels developed with the help of new technologies. This material is not afraid of moisture, but can quickly lose its color from direct sunlight. This point should be considered if the room is located on the south side. Advantages: low cost, quick and easy installation with glue.

• They create coziness that cannot be organized using other finishing materials. Cork panels are pressed cork oak bark. Cork panels are easy to install and are suitable for any type of balcony, regardless of the temperature level in the room. The cork panel does not absorb foreign odors, including the smell of tobacco. The lack of material is high price. An inexpensive penoplex is also used for insulation, and a mineral wool is also perfect.

Warming the balcony with your own hands will save a lot of money. Sheathing in the panel house, in the "Khrushchev" is done taking into account the features of the apartment and the building.

• Step 1. To begin with, the dismantling of old frames is carried out, the surface is prepared and things are taken out. Warming from the inside is an important stage of the whole process.

• Step 2. At the second stage it is necessary to make a glazing balcony. The best option would be PVC plastic windows. Many prefer to leave the old frame of wood. However, remember that even if wooden structures are in good condition, they will not be able to organize the same heat saving. There are gaps in the tree, so it makes no sense to engage in warming in this situation.

• Step 3. Once the plastic windows are installed, you can proceed to the insulation of the floor. Be prepared for the floor to be higher. Consider this if the ceiling in the room is low.

• Step 4. Wall cladding is carried out after the installation of windows and floor insulation. The walls on the balcony are the side walls, except for capital. Finishing works are carried out at the final stage of insulation. The choice of materials depends on the budget. In the process of finishing installed window slopes, facing the balcony.

• In order to insulate a balcony or loggia, you need the following tools: a metal hacksaw or a stationery knife; roulette; level; pencil, marker or any other writing tool; glue application tool - brush, spatula, and so on; other tools. From the materials you need glue and insulation. In addition, you need a vapor barrier film and a windproof membrane.

• High-quality insulation in combination with double glazing makes the balcony into a living room. It is necessary to warm not only the walls, but also the floor with the ceiling. Materials for insulation should be durable, lightweight, safe for humans. Due to precipitation and condensation, the walls of the balcony can become damp and moldy, which means that we need hydro and vapor barrier.

Foam polystyrenes correspond to these requirements to the maximum: traditional foam plastic and insulating plates Penoplex. The first is very light, durable in compression, waterproof.Penoplex is a heat insulation from extruded polystyrene foam. Its margin of safety and durability exceeds conventional foam, and the form simplifies installation in the clutch and provides perfect insulation. Sheeting balcony plates can be done both inside and outside.

Thermal insulation of a closed balcony begins with surface preparation. It is necessary to carefully cover the gaps and joints between the floor, walls and parapet with foam without toluene in the composition. Metal structures must be cleaned of rust, covered with oil paint and treated with building antiseptic.

Before laying insulation put windows and doors. Window sills and slopes mounted on the last stage of work. Glazing of the balcony depends on the parapet. If it is only a metal crate, it should be increased with ceramic (lightweight) brick or foam blocks. Thickness should not exceed ten centimeters. To protect the foam blocks, at the finishing stage they are covered with corrugated flooring.

It is possible to install window structures on a reinforced concrete parapet at once, using various assembly and sealing structures. Metal windows have excellent characteristics, with skillful installation they reliably protect the balcony and look aesthetically pleasing.Choosing a model, it is worth staying at the swing frames with double glazed windows.

• In order to warm the floor, you can resort to two different directions at once: make it warm or constantly warm it. It is about installing a floor heating system, for example, electric. Installing a water system on a balcony is very inconvenient and almost impossible, but the installation of an electrical or film system is easy to implement.

It all starts with preparation. On the floor under the tile spreads waterproofing film that protects the floor from moisture outside. Further the obreshetka is arranged. Instead of a log, a bar is used, five centimeters thick. If you do not want to greatly raise the floor relative to the old pavement, the beam is better to use a low height. Perfect square beam 50 × 50 mm. Bars stacked every 40-60 cm.

In order to avoid moisture on the insulation from the inside, it is covered with a vapor barrier film. It is laid over the beams and attached to them with a construction stapler. For internal fastening, a fastening pitch of 50 cm is sufficient so as not to create extra holes in the film.Polystyrene must be protected from all sides from moisture. Therefore, the film is better laid overlapped on the wall. All gaps between the beams and walls should be sealed with the same insulation material or mounting foam.

• Many do not insulate the walls, considering that they are not coming in from the cold side of the house. In many ways it is, but the work must be done. The walls themselves are not sources of cold, but the joints between them and the side walls of the balcony can be such. For this reason, all work can only consist in installing penofol, which is vapor-tight and thin. He will protect the walls from icing and condensate penetration into the balcony.

• Ceiling. If we are talking about a private house, it is best to make a special design of the roof. It is recommended to make a pitched roof, the slope of which is directed away from the house. The roof is made of rafters and crates. Over it the waterproofing film fastens. Roofing material is attached to the film, and waterproofing is installed over the double-sided vapor barrier film with the absorbing side inwards. From below rafters are filed by a vapor-permeable wind-proof membrane.

The slab, that is, the horizontal part, should have several layers at once: insulation; vapor barrier layer; load-bearing beams with interior trim. The device begins with the installation of the frame, namely the truss system. Next, it attaches a vapor barrier double-sided membrane in this way. Then arrange the crate and lay the waterproofing layer. You can use classic roofing felt or special polyvinyl chloride films.

• Warming outside. In order to insulate the balcony outside on their own, skills will be required. It’s not easy to do quality work yourself, considering the peculiarities of the building. Making the finish outside means saving up to thirty percent on heating. Remember that outdoor work is fraught with difficulties: if the balcony is above the second floor, then industrial climbers will have to be involved in the work.

Before you start warming, get the consent of officials from the management of architecture. The appearance of the balcony can spoil the overall picture, but if you finish in the same style as the whole building, you can get permission. Warming outside has several advantages:

• the reinforced concrete slab remains warm, moist air from the room freely passes through it and is released into the atmosphere;
• saving of useful space;
• You can mount a layer of insulation of any thickness, it does not affect the internal space of the balcony.

Materials can be used the same as for internal work. Preference is given to sprayed insulation, as the most easy and effective. Experts recommend using foam or polystyrene foam. Mineral wool is sensitive to the ingress of moisture, so its installation requires special care and accuracy.

Independent procedure for insulating a balcony is complicated. All stages must be performed at a high level, otherwise the room will not be completely isolated. A glass, panoramic, stained-glass balcony is the perfect solution for a small space. Designers advise to combine it with room for expansion. Glazed balcony connected to the kitchen on the top floor is a luxurious solution.

In order to connect it to the room, you need the help of professionals. To finish the balcony, sheathe it outside - a laborious process,therefore, it is recommended that a preliminary work plan be prepared taking into account the cost of materials and outside assistance.

If the balcony is not warmed, it is worth addressing this issue. The result will be an additional room that can be used for work, study, and leisure.

• Glazed balcony is a great place to relax. A cozy hammock, soft pillows fit perfectly into a narrow loggia with limited space. If the balcony is small, this interior design is the best option.

• The interior in the style of "French Provence" is suitable for large balconies. White, turquoise, pale blue, milky, green is an excellent option for a rest room. Light shades visually expand the space and adjust to a certain way.

• A green corner is a great solution. Despite the size of the room, try to find a place on the balcony for an open rack. Arrange there seedlings or potted flowers.If the space is large, designers advise to turn it into a recreation area: wicker wooden furniture is perfect for this purpose.

• An excellent solution - an office on the balcony. Clear lines, a combination of white, bright green and yellow shades, as well as wood and plastic, adjust to the most productive work.

You can learn how to properly insulate a balcony or a loggia with your own hands by watching our video.