Warm floor on the balcony do it yourself

Warmth and comfort - this is the main thing that should be in your own home. When you remember the home, what comes first to your mind? That you can come home, relax and have a cup of warm tea on the cozy sofa on the balcony. Maybe you want to wrap up in a blanket or just read in your free time. All this is doubly pleasant when the room is warm and cozy, and this is possible with the installation of warm floors.

Repair and installation of old ceilings on the balcony has its advantages and disadvantages. No one wants to invest their time in unnecessary ideas and repairs. But installing underfloor heating is a very smart move. Let us see why this is so.

1. The first advantage of warming says: heat means comfortable. And indeed, if the comfort of staying in your own home comes first, so why not make your home a little warmer? In the apartments of the classical type, floor heating is not possible - the heat rises, heating the space unevenly. Walking on the cold parquet uncomfortable.Warm constructions create a complete warming up of the room from the very bottom to the ceiling, with a slight change in temperature.
2. The second advantage is the ability to expand your apartment by increasing the living space. As soon as the warm floor is installed, it is possible to arrange a balcony area in several ways - stylize it under the living room, work or dining room. Any of these options is possible only with the installation of insulation. Without it - the balcony can only serve as a warehouse or closet.
3. The third advantage tells us about ... saving electricity. Yes, it is about saving. The fact is that the installation of special heating makes it possible to spend less electricity (such are water-heated floors). This is a significant figure in the winter season, when heat is not only a necessity in an apartment, but can also serve economical purposes.

And now - the minuses of warm floors.

1. long installation. When you make a space with "warm nets", you need to spend a lot of effort and energy. And most importantly - its time. Regardless of how deformed the floor on the balcony, you have to: clean, align, install, adjust and warm.All these actions are also associated with the choice of the warmest coating, which will be written later;
2. cash spending. It is possible and even necessary to warm the balcony, but the fact is that it is impossible to do without monetary investments. Whether it is various tools, covering materials and heated floors themselves - all this needs to be bought, and the purchase is not cheap. However, there is a mitigating circumstance: savings are possible with the very method of insulation and cutting.
3. deformation. This minus is conditional - if you install the wrong floor heating system, you can significantly complicate your life. Floors can not only fail quickly, but also distort parts of the space. Therefore, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the installation, selection of floors and their subsequent operation.

The design and mechanism of operation of underfloor heating may vary. Maybe cable type - consist of a single wire or a uterine version, and maybe a very unusual, infrared (in the form of a film) option. Let us try to understand, on the basis of what should make a choice.

Differs in simplicity of a design and does not demand additional installations. Has the appearance of a longitudinal cord.Warming up is carried out due to the electricity passing through the wire. This type of heating has its advantages:

1. low power consumption;
2. safety and security of materials. Due to the strong protection of the cable itself, for example, covering the tie on one side, and finding the wire in the insulation layer, oxidation is almost impossible;
3. The heating system is very easy to operate and adjust.

The design has the form of a cloth, 40-50 centimeters in size. A thin wire heating is fixed on the glass-metal grid - it serves as a convenient form for installation. The benefits include:

1. safety - floor heating mats are the safest design. When using them, the heating system fully complies with safety measures;
2. space saving. The height of the floor practically does not increase - along with all the insulation the floor rises by only 1.7 cm;
3. easy installation The balcony has various forms and the floor is sometimes peculiar. Mats can be easily cut and deformed under complex parts, leaving the functional part holistic. Wire with this design is always protected.

The option of a warm infrared floor is an interesting alternative to classical types of heating. Installation is expensive, but, on the other hand, it is chosen very often. And that's why:

1. saving electricity consumption. Due to the unique heating system, electricity is not dissipated by wires, but is accumulated in the system itself, giving maximum heat to the space, at least using energy;
2. easy operation system. The system can be turned on immediately after installation - the design is as simple as possible to use;
3. fast heating. You can adjust not only the temperature in the room, but also its warm-up time. Usually enough 10-20 minutes.

Such a system is fundamentally different from the electric one - it is based on water. It has the form of a cable that fits the "snake" around the perimeter. Installation of water structures is chosen less often because it can leak and deform. When it breaks, it is necessary to dismantle the construction of the insulation to the base - it is expensive. Although, on a par with this, the system of water floors has exceptional advantages:

1. saving.The heating system does not consume electricity;
2. security. With this design, all security measures are respected. There is no risk of fire;
3. long and high-quality heating of the room. This function is due to the fact that water keeps heat longer than wiring with electricity.

If you have to deform the floor, pay attention to several ways of finishing. Depending on the budget, its capabilities and desires - you can install the heating on the balcony with the usual hermetic insulation (cold look), make them warmed or warm. In the future, based on your preferences, you need to choose one of the options:

1. flat floor with screed, but without insulation;
2. leveled surface using heat materials;
3. basis with a dry coupler, but without warming;
4. installation with coupler semi-dry type with insulation;
5. construction with a wooden floor on logs and heat insulation (it is possible without it);
6. wood mounting system using linoleum over;
7. Code of Styrofoam with the addition, but without the lag;
8. adjustment of the room with concrete with further laying of tile or laminate;
9. installation of a design of a heat-insulated floor and its installation. The heat exchange system can be electro-based or water.

It is easy to understand what is acceptable to you, it is only necessary to compare the shape of the balcony, its future functions and the type of openness.

For an open type balcony, it is better to lay tile at the base. If you need a closed, glazed type of balcony with heated floors - then look at the wooden floors. However, there may be exceptions to the rule: the material can be used and vice versa - it all depends on your desire.

The following insulation materials are used in the construction of underfloor heating:

1. mineral wool. It is easy to use and perfectly protects the floor from cold. Cotton wool consists of glass material, which is processed in several ways: first it is melted, then drawn, cooled and crushed. It is easy to warm the floor with mineral wool, however, it is necessary to lay waterproofing on top, as the material loses its properties at high humidity;
2. foam material. This is a cheap equivalent of expensive heaters. It has excellent heat retention properties.Polyfoam is on sale by small plates of various thickness. It is installed between the gaps of wooden lag;
3. Penofol is a coating compound that combines foil and foamed polyethylene. In addition to preserving heat, penofol has waterproofing properties and absorbs unwanted noise. There are two types of material: one-sided and two-sided coating. In the private house is used most often;
4. penoplex. It is the most expensive flooring. It does not allow steam, sounds, and is also resistant to all chemical and mechanical damage. Also penoplex is easy to use and install, the only negative is its overestimated cost.

Let us consider two ways of laying the floor on the balcony. From simple to complex.

The first of these is tile laying. The procedure is simple:

1. it is necessary to clean and prepare the surface for further use. Remove all irregularities, residual materials and prepare walls by cleaning;
2. measure how necessary it is to raise the floor and, based on this information, select the necessary insulation for the loggia. It is necessary to lay on the waterproofing layer;
3. after that you need to fill the screed and lay the tile on the dried surface.

This floor option can be done on the open balcony. It is better not to give up heating and to apply one of the electric floor heating options. In order to tile laying was smooth and neat, experts advise to use plastic crosses. At the last stage, they must be removed and grouting done.

This method of coverage is more complex and costly. The installation procedure is as follows:

1. clean the base of the floor from all previous materials of use, seal the cracks and all irregularities with a sealant at the base between the corners and the parapet;
2. set the tie;
3. lay the transverse lags on the prepared base. The distance between them should be in two steps - the bars should not reach the base of the walls, so you can adjust the actions for laying the flooring. Wooden bars are stacked in several rows - this is necessary to align the room on the base;
4. then cover the logs with insulation materials. The first thing to do is to protect the floor and walls with a protective coating - this is the most reasonable.Thus, the maximum heat transfer is created;
5. install a floor heating system and fix the temperature controller just above the base of the floor;
6. and the last creative touch remains - cover the construction with laminate, linoleum or wood.

Since the balcony is a limited space, its design must meet the requirements of functionality. To design such a space in the same style, you can use design tricks:

1. appliances must be built in and easily adjusted;
2. cabinets are needed hanging, and tables and shelves are compact;
3. if the use of tool boxes and all kinds of departments is implied, it is better to have them under the ceiling;
4. when finishing it is desirable to use moisture resistant materials;
5. Lamps must be installed around the perimeter. The built-in models, sconces and hangers will look harmonious and not burden the space of the balcony;
6. blinds and blinds are preferable to curtains and curtains.

The design style can be any, the main thing is that you like it and correspond to the overall interior design in the apartment.

If you decide to put tiles on the balcony, it is better to use an industrial or classic style of decoration - dark brown shades of furniture with pastel colored tiles look as natural as possible. In this design, in the corners you can install plants and small partitions with flowers - the green color will serve as the most natural accent.

For modern design solutions, such as high-tech style, both tile and laminate are suitable. To competently illuminate the interior, you can install lights around the perimeter of the floor. This method is able to expand the space. And the reflective surfaces and glass parts, illuminated by built-in small lights, moreover, will look unusual and will bring comfort.