How to make a warm floor on the balcony

Every family at least once made repairs in the apartment. Modern layout allows you to create in the room any interior and has a fairly spacious area. However, how to be the residents of small Khrushchev? Someone only visually expands the space, and someone starts redevelopment. An excellent option is to combine a balcony with a kitchen or a room. Especially if there are two balconies.

How and what to decorate the balcony and how to keep warm? Warm floors come to the rescue. Many believe that such manipulations are appropriate only for bathrooms and kitchens. But no! Now the range of floors allows you to make flooring in any part of the room. One has only to decide on the type of heating.

Features and benefits

Heated floors are especially relevant for families with children. You won't have to worry that your favorite child will catch a cold while playing on a cold surface. Also, such structures provoke air circulation, since heating occurs evenly.Because allergies, too, is not in danger.

  1. Heating systems differ in the type of system and each is good in its own way.
  2. Water floors are perfect for homes with individual heating, as the temperature can be adjusted independently.
  3. Electric floors are more popular, since the installation can be done independently, it is possible to adjust the temperature (including for each room separately). True, the biggest disadvantage is the cost of services for electricity.

Kinds

Electric

There are several types: with cable system, infrared and mats.

The simplest system is cable.

This type of preheating is good for covering with laminate. Wire is used as a heating element. In order for the floor to have a comfortable temperature, a voltage of about 150 watts per square meter is necessary. After laying the wire, a cement screed is made, and after it is cured, a floor covering is already put.

However, the system has several disadvantages. One of the main ones is to ensure the waterproofing of the balcony slab, due to which the floor level is 10-15 cm higher.Sometimes a threshold can be formed at the entrance to the balcony. This is not always convenient.

In addition, due to the screed creates an additional load on the slab, which is not always acceptable for older buildings. Yes, and you can use it no earlier than in a month, so that the screed has time to harden. Otherwise, all the works were in vain, and the design will become unusable.

Infrared

This type is especially relevant for small rooms with absolutely any coverage. Heating occurs according to the principle of radiation of infrared waves in a certain range. It is necessary to take into account the fact that all surrounding objects will heat up: walls, furniture and other things.

  1. Installation of film floors can be wet and dry. The advantages of infrared heating in the possibility of using both carpet and laminate.
  2. The heating element is a strip with a carbon paste, interconnected by lavsan. Pasta, in turn, consists of slate with various kinds of additives. The role of the conductor of electricity is played by a 220-volt copper wire.

Before laying the film you need to prepare the floor. A screed is placed on which the infrared film is laid.

The sequence of film laying is as follows:

  • Make warp;
  • We put heat-reflecting substrates;
  • We put the prepared film with the copper side down;
  • Set the temperature controller;
  • We fix with special tools the power terminals to the film;
  • Fill insulating material contacts.

When covering the structure with ceramic tiles or artificial stone, it is worth applying a solid substrate.

Heating mats

Mats are a grid with a cable fixed inside it, through which electrical energy is transmitted. The cable core is made of any material with high resistance.

  1. Thermal insulation is not required for floor insulation with mats. The grid is usually 0.5 meters wide. Simply roll it and you can install a topcoat.
  2. If you choose a tile as a cover, then the mats can be built into a special composition. Moreover, it is not necessary to furnish the floor of the balcony for laying the heating grid, and the construction is ready for use in a week.
  3. The operation of the mats is quite simple. The advantage of such a system is the absence of additional manipulations for installation and start-up, as well as a minimal increase in the floor level.However, caution should be exercised when laying the coating and not to allow heavy objects to fall, otherwise the structure could be damaged.
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Water

Heating of the flooring is due to the radiator embedded in the concrete screed.

  1. It is believed that this method of heating is the most acceptable for a balcony. In addition, the design is quite low cost and versatility when choosing a topcoat up to artificial stone.
  2. Before starting the installation of radiators it is necessary to prepare the floor. Free the surface from debris and old cover like tile or linoleum.
  3. In the presence of irregularities it is worth pouring a cement screed. Next, we make the layout of the location of future radiators. Now we are going to build the system.
  4. Immediately after preparing the base, mineral or basalt wool should be laid. This is necessary in order to avoid freezing of the radiator during the cold season.
  5. Then the heating tube is fixed to the base with special fasteners for greater stability.
  6. The water floor can be laid out in the form of a spiral, and in the form of a snake.
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Materials

For heated floors, you can use absolutely any coatings: ceramic tiles, linoleum, laminate flooring, self-leveling floors, 3D floors, porcelain tiles, artificial stone, parquet and any wooden products.

The basic rule that should be taken into account is not to install household appliances on the heated surface, as this may lead to its overheating and further breakdown of it. Therefore, if the balcony is combined with a kitchen, then it is necessary to lay the heating elements selectively.

For example, a wooden floor automatically goes into the category of heat without additional accessories. But if a decision is made to cover the floor with heated wood, that is, a nuance - the wooden floor strongly reacts to changes in humidity. Therefore, not every breed will do.

Chipboard, plywood and plank flooring is appropriate for a water heating system. Under this floor, mainly metal-polymer pipes are carried out. In order for the coating to maintain its aesthetic appearance for a long time, the temperature of the heat carrier (water) should not exceed 27 degrees. The most reliable materials are made from beech and oak.

True, wood is not the best conductor. Due to the insulating qualities of such a coating will block the flow of heat from the heater.Yes, and under the influence of the change of weather, the tree can stratify, crack and even break up (in the case of plywood boards and flooring). Therefore, when choosing a coating material, it is worthwhile to give preference to more dense rocks with a low thermal conductivity.

Wood coatings must not be thicker than 10 mm. These include the floor of the cross cut, parquet and parquet mosaic. They are also more resistant to cracking.

In general, natural coatings are good friends with infrared heaters. But, since the heating strips are heated to 60 degrees, porcelain stoneware and stone coatings will be most appropriate. In addition to beauty, they have excellent heat-conducting qualities.

Self-leveling floors, including those with a 3D effect, have long recommended themselves from the good side. Now you can install them yourself. This type of coating is suitable for water heating and cable systems.

Any type of underfloor heating is ideal for tiles, as ceramics are an excellent conductor of heat and, the thicker the layer, the better. In addition, the tile is the fastest and easiest.

Gaining popularity recently all-glass floor.The coating is made of impact-resistant glass. The design consists of 3 layers with a thickness of about 8 mm each, which are connected either by an adhesive base, or by means of thermal exposure.

Mosaics, aquariums, and just drawings are built into such floors, or you can leave a transparent layer. Despite the beauty and durability, glass floors are still not designed as a coating for heating structures. Although it is quite appropriate as an independent element, since usually the second layer of the glass unit plays the role of insulation.

In order not to be mistaken with the choice of material for coating, it is best to consult with a specialist.

Device

Before you install a warm floor, you must first produce glazed loggia. Next, insulate the walls and ceiling. And only after that you can proceed to the warming.

There is not much difference in what type of flooring there is. The only thing that should take into account some of the nuances depending on the type of insulation, which depends on the method of finishing the coating.

How to lift with your own hands

First you need to check the concrete slab for irregularities, cracks and chips, which are eliminated by pouring cement.It may happen that you have to replace the valve.

It is necessary to take into account also some factors on which the balcony parameters also depend.

You can expand the area by taking out the balcony on the floor. However, the law allows to do this no more than 30 cm, otherwise permission of the relevant organizations will be required. Work on the expansion of the floor is to provide a specialist, as the design will create an additional load on the stove.

So, if the decision is made to make a balcony connected to the room, then it is just necessary to make the walls and ceiling warming on the loggias. First you need to handle the gap mounting foam or cement mortar. After installing vapor barrier. For these purposes, mainly penofol or liquid rubber is used.

To warm the loggia will help lathing the walls. It is wooden and metal. To save heat, of course, it is better to choose wood.

But if you make the floor on the logs, then in principle you can do without heating systems. As a result of raising the floor to a height of 10 cm, or even all of 20 cm, it will be equal to the level of the threshold, and even the tree will retain heat perfectly.When calculating the parameters of the beams, do not forget that leveling the tie will also raise the floor level.

Installation

In general, the installation is quite simple and is done in three main stages:

  • The balcony plate is leveled with the help of fittings and cement mortar.
  • We make a screed to level the floor level of the balcony and room. This moment is very important when combining the premises. The screed will dry for about a week.
  • Laying hydrobarrier.
  • Laying insulating layer. An ordinary heat reflector will do.
  • Laying pipe or electrical system.

All materials should be chosen based on the calculation of loads.

Installation of a water system

  1. First you need to decide how to hold the system: from the riser or from the battery. Budget and practical make battery supply.
  2. After the preparatory work begins installation of pipes. They are fixed on special mats or on brackets.
  3. Apply the markup pipe laying. In order to save space, styling will be a snake. The distance should be made about 20 cm. We distribute the brackets taking into account the bending of the pipe. That is, for a straight pipe, we fix the fastenings at a distance of 50-70 cm, and in the places of bending - more often.After laying the pipe, pour the screed over the structure.

Electrical floor installation

  1. We put insulation on the prepared screed. Next, fasten the mounting tape.
  2. Top stacked mats or conductive cord. The thermostat is installed on the wall in easy access. The screed is poured.

How to cover

It is equally important when installing a heated floor to choose a topcoat.

In general, the simplest and most economical option would be to color the tie. The paint is quite flat and looks good. But! This coverage will have to be updated about once every 3 years. And this is an extra cost of time and effort to clean the old layer and cover the new one.

You can cover the screed with parquet or lay a chipboard. The minimum load on the slab will be created, but the tree must either have certain parameters. If waterproofing was previously installed, the wooden floor will last a long time. In addition, it can also be varnished or painted.

An excellent option would be to put PVC tiles. The tile consists of modules measuring 30 by 30 cm, which is easy to assemble without the use of adhesive substrates and fasteners.It can be cleaned with a conventional vacuum cleaner and easily washed with water. The material is produced, including the colors of marble, granite, wood, etc.

Bulk floor has long established itself as a coating for balconies. It is appropriate even on the open balcony. Aesthetic appearance, ease of care, the ability to pour on any type of floor heating. In addition, such a coating will preserve the integrity for a long time, subject to a slight temperature difference. Therefore, it is necessary to do the insulation of the room before the filling is done.

Most of the owners in the old fashioned way prefer to lay laminate or linoleum. Moreover, it can be easier than throwing a piece of material and stitching the edges with plinths? This choice is also practical and simple, but a bit boring for modern original interiors.

Ceramic tiles - the most common type of coating for all occasions. Excellent thermal conductivity, the ability to lay out on their own, the variety of colors and textures gives undeniable advantages to such a coating. The only thing you should not drop heavy objects to the surface.

Impress the guests, and the glass floor will help to simply show the refined taste.In case of damage, thick laminated glass will not break apart into fragments and is suitable as an independent thermal insulation. The glass floor allows you to divide the room into cold and warm zones, and even with the combination of various types of coating.

Which is better

Which floor is better to make the choice is purely individual. It all depends on the financial and technical capabilities.

For an apartment, it is more convenient to install an electric underfloor heating system due to the convenience and sufficient ease of construction. Moreover, the water type directly depends on the heating season. But any kind of coverage is acceptable, since for the most part all loggias are closed and the coating will not be exposed to adverse weather effects.

In a wooden house is more relevant to conduct a water floor heating system. The temperature will be regulated at the discretion of the owner, since the heating is individual and does not depend on the utilities. In addition, such a warm floor will significantly reduce the financial cost of heating in contrast to electric.

Floor covering can also be done at your discretion, only the scope of fantasy is wider and permission of third-party organizations for redevelopment will not be required.For private homes, rubber coatings are often installed, since in summer the balconies are mostly open and it is necessary to avoid sliding the surface.

Reviews

Install or not worth it?

Most members of the forum vote "for"! Why? Because in the old apartments in the off-season just cold. Often establish additional heating of a family with small children. After all, they always play on the floor and do not like sneakers.

Especially flattering reviews about infrared floor heating. They fully pay off their cost and serve for many years. And the most popular coating has become the favorite tile of all. It turns out cheap and cheerful.

The only disadvantage found by users is the increase in unpleasant odors in the heating process. Therefore, when installing such floors should be kept clean. Especially with pets.

Interesting solutions in interior design

Despite the simple and economical tastes of customers, manufacturers do not give up. Every year all new versions of coatings are produced.

A rubber floor made of rubber crumb has become a very practical and inexpensive solution. The coating has all the necessary qualities, plus the lack of slip.A variety of colors and patterns is amazing.

For wealthy owners, designers offer glass floors. Elegantly and solidly look floors divided by temperature zones. For example, a heated zone, and in one part of the room a glass floor with an aquarium or a living vegetation zone. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to install fully transparent floors.

Tremendous beauty is obtained by combining glass and a self-leveling coating with a 3D effect. Also, experts can install multi-level designs.

If we weigh the pros and cons, then the choice is obvious. Because there are no restrictions in the choice of both the type of floor heating and the method of finishing coating.

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