And on the balcony, even in the cold season, you can grow plants and relax, admiring the landscape outside the window. Great value It has, first of all, floor insulation on the balcony and loggia. What materials are used for this, and which ones are best suited in each specific case?
Before starting work on floor insulation, you should make sure the strength of the balcony or loggia. The structure must withstand the insulation layer, and if there is any doubt about this, it is better to start work by replacing the concrete slabs. A thicker layer of insulation is not always better - the floor should not be higher than in the adjacent room. Now let's look at the most popular insulation warrants.
No. 1. Styrofoam
Stone wool is produced in slabs and rolls, but can also be in granular form and directed with a special installation onto the insulated surface to fill all the cracks. Whatever the form of mineral wool, its main advantages are:
- good thermal insulation properties. The thermal conductivity coefficient is approximately on the same level as polystyrene foam, so the material will provide excellent protection and will not release valuable heat;
- ability to pass air - the microclimate of the balcony will be in perfect order;
- non-flammability;
- noise insulation properties;
- resistance to mechanical damage;
- rock wool is not touched by rodents;
- durability;
- affordable price.
The combination of all these advantages explains the wide distribution of the material. It is worth noting that glass wool and slag wool will be cheaper, but they are more fragile, and all work will need to be carried out in protective equipment.
No. 3. Expanded clay
They are often used to insulate floors on balconies and loggias. This material is made from clay, which is fired at high temperatures. The result is oval-shaped granules with a porous structure. The material can make even the coldest floor warm and cozy, and this is exactly what is needed. When working with material, it is important to consider a number of nuances. Since expanded clay is porous, it able to absorb moisture, therefore the waterproofing layer must be strong and reliable. The material is very fragile, you need to work with it extremely carefully. Expanded clay insulation technology does not allow making an insulation layer less than 15 cm, what you need to consider so as not to get a floor that is too high.
Despite all the nuances of working with expanded clay, this insulation has many advantages:
- light weight;
- low price;
- excellent heat and sound insulation;
- fire resistance and frost resistance;
- durability;
- environmental friendliness.
No. 4. Penofol
Penofol is one of the most modern insulation materials, which combines the advantages of polystyrene foam and mineral wool, but at the same time the material is very thin, so it is optimal in cases where every centimeter of space counts. Penofol consists of polyethylene foam and aluminum foil, and its action resembles a regular thermos. The material does not retain the warmth of the room, but reflects it. Penofol is produced in rolls 3-10 mm thick.
Main advantages of the material:
Reviews from experts say that penofol is one of the best and most reliable insulation materials on this moment . But it also has some disadvantages. Thus, the material is quite soft, and when installing it it is better not to use nails so as not to disrupt the integrity and basic properties of the material. Despite the excellent properties of penofol, today it is usually used not as an independent insulation, but in combination with other materials.
No. 5. Foam glass
For loggias and balconies, the number of possible insulation materials is greatly reduced due to specific conditions. You have to refuse, for example, but it can be used. The composition of the material is ordinary silicate glass, but the production method allows you to add unique properties. Glass waste is crushed into powder, melted, and due to the action of a gas-forming agent in the form of coke or coal, the mass increases tens of times and acquires a porous structure. Not only is this material much lighter than glass, it has many other advantages:
Due to its high cost, foam glass is not so often used for insulating residential buildings and, especially, loggias and balconies. In terms of its overall performance qualities, it is an ideal insulation material.
No. 6. Warm floors as an alternative
Allows you to solve a lot of problems of creating an optimal microclimate on a balcony or loggia. Firstly, you won’t have to think about other heating systems, and secondly, it will be pleasant to walk on the floor even barefoot. However, in order not to heat the street, thermal insulation materials should be used in this case as well.
The process of repairing or reconstructing a balcony or loggia is always associated with the need for the most effective thermal insulation. In fact, you can do the work yourself, in a short time, and select enough for insulation cheap material. It is only important to take into account that the floor will rise to a certain height and from here proceed what exactly is needed: insulation with expanded clay or polystyrene foam, penoplex.
Preparatory work for floor insulation
The work process occurs not only in the case when it is necessary to attach the balcony area to the apartment and lay laminate flooring; heat protection on the loggia is useful in any situation, since the insulated open area raises the temperature in the living space.
Important! It is worth thinking about glazing the balcony in advance, since in the case of a completely open space, the result of the work will be much lower and it will not bring much warmth to the rooms. Moreover, when planning to lay laminate flooring, it is important to protect the coating from moisture and snow.
You need to start insulation not only correctly, but also comprehensively: floor, walls, ceiling - all surfaces are included in the work. This may reduce the usable area, but will provide heat energy savings and comfort. Starting with the floor, you need to first prepare the surface:
- Raise the old covering, dismantle linoleum, laminate or other material to the supporting slab;
- Clean the base from dust, dirt and debris. The ceiling is prepared in the same way. Can be carried out wet cleaning, but then let the base dry;
- Check the floor and ceiling for cracks and cracks - seal and seal. If the concrete has crumbled, use a grinder to widen the cracks and seal them cement mixture. You can use resin-based epoxy putty, but it is better to carry out this process when time is limited;
- The joints between the ceiling and the floor with the walls should be expanded and filled with mortar. Each crack reduces the efficiency of work, so it is better to carry out all procedures with the utmost quality so that the thermal insulation works 100%. If you cheat, the insulation materials placed under the sheathing in the cracks will quickly lose their characteristics and after a short time you will have to open the covering and redo the work again.
- As soon as the solution has dried, the stage of treating the surfaces with a waterproofing compound begins. And if the floor takes roll waterproofing, then it is better to cover the ceiling with mixtures, paint and other plastic compounds. The video will show you how to do this, and you can see the result of the work in the photo.
Advice! Liquid waterproofing composition is much more practical to use, so it’s a good idea to cover it not only with the ceiling, but also with the floor and walls if you plan to cover all areas with foam plastic under the laminate. At the stage of applying waterproofing, it is important to check the strength and integrity of vertical joints and insulation window openings. If necessary, use polyurethane foam for maximum insulation; it will fill the voids, sealing them for a long time.
Insulation: choice of materials
The choice of insulation depends on the financial component and user preferences. Before knowing how to insulate the floor on a balcony, it is important to choose the material:
- Working with foam plastic are inexpensive. A simple and lightweight product is almost resistant to moisture, but it is fire hazardous.
- Using penoplex, the buyer will receive durable and fireproof material. At the same time, non-susceptibility to mechanical influences allows insulation to be carried out not even along the joists, but along the screed. Laminate fits well on the material, and if everything is done correctly, penoplex can be used to insulate walls and ceilings - the small width of the sheets allows you not to worry too much about reducing the usable space on the balcony or loggia.
- Foil-coated roll materials have a small thickness, but high heat transfer resistance, as an example given by penofol - good component insulating “pie”.
- Mineral wool different composition successfully used for floor insulation, can be mounted on walls and ceilings. But it is important to remember that this material wrinkles, absorbs moisture and therefore immediately loses its unique qualities.
- Insulation with expanded clay used according to floor area. Low price, light weight, imperviousness to moisture and complete immunity from rodents and bugs made the material the best for insulation, and the photo will show what it looks like.
- Polyurethane foam materials, available in cans and spray applied, are the best to use. However, the price component and high consumption make you think about the feasibility of use. It is better to use such mixtures when it is necessary to insulate a seriously damaged balcony or loggia, for example, in fairly dilapidated buildings.
Once the materials have been selected and purchased, work can begin.
Work on insulation of balconies and loggias
The process begins with laying the lag. This is a necessary procedure due to the low density of all insulation materials. By minimizing the load during the use of the premises, users extend the service life of coatings.
Advice! If you bought rolled foil material for insulation, the logs are stuffed on top of it. In all other cases, the heat insulator should be properly laid between the joists.
How to insulate the floor on the balcony:
- Placed on the base waterproofing membrane or the base is covered with a layer of waterproofing mastic. To quickly and efficiently complete the work, you can also lay a layer of thick polyethylene, leaving allowances for wall panels. It’s easy to spread the material and cut it to the required dimensions with your own hands using a minimum of tools;
- Cut the beams to the size of the balcony. It is better to take beams with a cross section of 40*40 mm and process them protective composition and lay it on the base, retreating a step equal to the size of the insulation (when insulating with expanded clay, the step can be taken approximately 0.8-0.9 m);
- Align the entire joist structure with horizontal plane, but with a slight slope towards the outer border of the balcony. For leveling, you can use wedges, which you can also make yourself. Look at the photo to see what the process looks like.
Important! When using polystyrene foam, penoplex, mineral wool and other material (except expanded clay), the height level of the log system must be such that the material lies between the base and the coating without deformation or creasing. But the final level cannot be higher than the threshold.
All that remains is to secure the logs with self-tapping screws, and to ensure strength, screw them to the wall using plate brackets using anchors with plastic sleeves. Now the process of installing insulation and final cladding begins. First you need to lay insulating materials. Doing it yourself is quite simple:
- Trim the slabs, as shown in the photo, in accordance with the size of the cells between the joists, ensuring that there is not a single free gap left;
- Lay the materials on the floor and secure with dowels, or you can use adhesive foam in balloons;
- As soon as the panels are laid, foam the cavities and wait until dry;
- Place a vapor barrier membrane on top.
Important! In the process of insulation with expanded clay, much less materials will be required. After installing the lag, the cavities are filled with expanded clay and the fractions are leveled. After this, you can already sew up the structure with plywood, gypsum fiber board sheets, and chipboard. The process is shown in the video; it does not take much time and does not require much knowledge, so insulating the floor with your own hands is not difficult.
Once the vapor barrier is installed, you need to install cross beams that are laid on top of the joists. You can choose a smaller cross-section, but keep the step no more than 40 cm. The counter-lattice allows you to leave air between the subfloor and the insulation, while minimizing heat loss. All that remains is to lay the subfloor made of plywood, boards and fasten the sheets with self-tapping screws directly to the joists.
Important! Regardless of the use of thermal insulation, sheets of plywood or other subfloor are fixed leaving a gap of 5-10 mm between the walls. Otherwise, when exposed to temperature, the material will have nowhere to expand, and if you plan to lay laminate flooring, the lining will soon creak.
All that remains is to lay laminate, linoleum, and other final coverings, install skirting boards to cover the cracks and use the new insulated balcony. How everything looks, look at the photo.
Finally
There are a lot of options on how and how to insulate the floor on a loggia. Using foam plastic and derivatives for insulation, you get comfort and a small reduction in area; if the process is carried out using expanded clay, it reduces the cost of work and speed. At the same time, you can do both the finishing of the floor and the ceiling with your own hands, and if you try a little, you will get ideal heated floors, on which both laminate and other final coating will lie.
An insulated floor will create a unique coziness for the balcony. Floor insulation is a mandatory element in measures to insulate the entire balcony. If this procedure is not carried out, cold will definitely come from the lower concrete slab of the balcony. Warm floors can be constructed in several ways; their choice will depend on financial opportunities owners, and from experience in repair work. The most popular techniques used to insulate a balcony floor will be discussed further.
Floor insulation based on logs
The first layer that will fall on the concrete floor is waterproofing. To do this, use glassine. Don't forget what to put waterproofing layer You always need a small margin in length and width.
After this comes preliminary insulation in the form of thin insulation; sometimes two or three layers are required to better insulate the floor.
Each layer of insulation is treated with foam at the joints and directly along the perimeter of the balcony.
And now it’s worth taking a closer look at laying the lags. You will need a wooden beam 5 cm high and 5-7 cm wide. These bars are laid across the balcony in increments of 50 cm by 50 cm. Do not place the outer bars close to the wall, leave a distance of 5-7 cm.
The thicker the insulation, the lower the thermal conductivity
The bars are installed on small spacers made of plywood pieces; if you do without them, the bottom layer of insulation will be pressed through. It is also necessary to put insulation between the joists, usually five-centimeter polystyrene foam. Lay it close to the joists; if there are gaps, use foam.
Before starting work, be sure to treat the wooden material with an antiseptic.
By the way, by installing joists you can not only better insulate the floor, but also level it. But what material to choose for insulation is further.
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Floor insulation material – top sellers
A selection of the most popular materials for insulation will please those who do not intend to make expensive repairs on the balcony.
Insulation with expanded clay
Floor insulation materials:
- Expanded clay. Lightweight, durable material with excellent thermal insulation characteristics, very convenient to use. The price issue is more than acceptable; in short, expanded clay has an excellent reputation.
- Styrofoam. Usually, when insulating a floor with polystyrene foam, it must be laid in several layers. This is, perhaps, all the difficulties in working with him. The material is inexpensive and easy to use. There are two ways to insulate the floor with foam plastic: using wooden logs, and leveling the balcony slab with a cement screed.
- Mineral wool. Leader in demand due to ease of use and efficiency. When insulating a floor with mineral wool, a method based on wooden structure(lag).
- Penoplex. A relatively young material that can be used to insulate the floor efficiently and fairly quickly. Installation is simple, everything is attached with your own hands according to a well-thought-out scheme, thanks to which there is no need to foam the gaps between the plates - there will simply be no gaps.
- Penofol. Not only can it be used to insulate a floor, this material is multifunctional. It replaces both the vapor barrier layer and the waterproofing layer. That is, in essence it is complex insulation, most modern insulation balcony floors.
There is one more Alternative option– we insulate the balcony floor in a high-quality and modern way, which means using a “warm” floor system, the description of which will still be returned.
Methods of floor insulation
If plywood on joists (the floor insulation method discussed above) is the most common technology, only screed can compete with it.
Screed options are varied and depend on your taste and budget.
The screed involves obtaining a kind of heat-insulating sandwich, the layers of which are: concrete slab balcony – thermal insulation – screed – finishing coat.
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The algorithm for insulating a floor with a screed will be as follows:
- Thermal insulation there will be, for example, foam plastic. If you don’t want to save money, you can also use expanded polystyrene, which is, roughly speaking, a more advanced type of foam. It is laid in two layers with obligatory overlapping of joints.
- Damper separation tape glued along the perimeter of the balcony. This, while insulating the floor, is done so that the screed does not touch the walls. Instead of tape, if there is none, small pieces of foam are often taken.
- Fill the screed. It is not advisable to do it yourself; there is a high risk that the homemade mixture will not work. It is safer to buy a special dry screed mixture in a store from a manufacturer with a good reputation.
- If the "warm floor" system" is used, then it, of course, is laid before pouring. Standardly this is a heating cable and reinforcing mesh.
- Primer begins after the screed has dried. The next layer is a finishing coating, for example, porcelain stoneware.
An alternative to this option is a dry screed, which can also be used to insulate the floor well.
This method is based on a gravel bed on which floor elements made of gypsum fiber sheets are laid. Although, of course, if we insulate a concrete floor this way, you risk being in the minority - dry screed is less popular.
Warm floor system
On the balcony it is only allowed to insulate the floor electrical structures, water insulation is definitely not an option.
Electric heated floors are presented:
- electric mats,
- cable,
- infrared film.
The cable system, as mentioned above, needs a screed no more than 5 cm high. And heating mats and infrared film combined with dry screed.
It is necessary to consider in advance whether windows and doors can open freely, as the floor level will rise
Floor insulation with infrared film will look like this:
- Polyethylene film The first layer covers the floor.
- Wood profiles exposed on film. They are either fixed to gypsum mortar or simply fixed with dowels.
- Expanded clay the space between the profiles is filled.
- Another layer of film laid on the backfill. The next layer is gypsum corrugated boards.
- Foil material is laid on top of the slabs, and an infrared film (or the same heating mats) is laid on it.
An apartment with a balcony is a fairly convenient combination that allows you to add volume to the room and experiment with design solutions. Balconies are often turned into compact workshops, spaces for creativity or relaxation. The only thing that prevents you from easily converting a balcony into a living space is the lack of insulation, which makes it impossible to warm up the balcony even if there is heating. However, this problem can be completely eliminated with our own efforts. First, the walls are insulated, high-quality double-glazed windows are installed, then the floor is insulated, heating is installed - and it can be used as a full-fledged part of the apartment. This article will discuss how to insulate the floor on a balcony with your own hands. The first thing you need to do before insulating the floor on a loggia or balcony is to check whether the ceiling is well reinforced. For example, if the balcony is not reinforced with a lower support, then this deficiency will have to be compensated for, for which support brackets are used. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to install them, since this requires the consent of the neighbors below. You can strengthen the balcony using a metal frame, which is mounted on top of a concrete slab and attached to the wall of the building. Installing such a frame allows you to reduce the load on the floor. However, in most cases, the balcony slab is initially laid on concrete supports, and problems do not arise with such a design. The next important point is the material from which the outer wall of the balcony is made. Often, a metal lattice covered with sheets of thin material is used to make the outer wall. If the floor slab rests on a reliable support, then the outer wall will need to be laid with foam concrete. True, such work will require coordination with architectural services so that problems do not arise in the future. The situation will be much better if the outer balcony wall is made of concrete - such a structure will not have to be changed or remodeled. Next, the balcony needs to be glazed with high quality. The meaning of this stage is clear: in the absence of high-quality window frames or their poor-quality installation, all the heat will escape from the balcony to the street. The choice of suitable frames is completely individual: most often apartment owners choose reliable double-glazed windows with low thermal conductivity, but sometimes good wooden frames are chosen for balconies, which, if properly processed, can also retain heat well. In any case, after installing the balcony frames, you need to start eliminating cracks and crevices. In addition to protecting against heat leakage, sealing various openings and sealing them will prevent moisture from entering the room. This is important: any leaky joint can cause dampness, which will significantly worsen the performance of the insulation. After some time, mold will appear and all building materials will begin to deteriorate, and sealing the cracks is needed precisely to prevent such effects. Wide gaps in slabs are best eliminated using special rollers made from polyethylene foam. By placing such rollers in the gaps and sealing them with sealant, you can achieve good tightness. Often, insulation rollers are used instead of polyurethane foam to save money. This is done like this: first, a little foam is applied to the required place, and a roller is placed on top of it. When the foam expands, it will fill all the free space and provide a good connection to the seal. Small gaps can be eliminated using regular sealant. Having dealt with the problems at the joints and walls of the balcony, you need to start eliminating similar flaws in the floor. All cracks are cleaned of dust and various debris, after which the floor surface must be treated with a primer. After this, each crack is filled with a sealant or cement-based adhesive mixture. Having noticed deep and narrow cracks, you need to widen them with a drill or grinder, and then fill them with sealant: in this case, the composition will penetrate well into the surface and fill the entire space. When the repair composition has hardened, the entire surface of the floor and the lower part of the walls should be primed. This rule only works for concrete surfaces: if the outer wall is made of foam blocks, then it is primed along its entire height. When all the shortcomings of the floor slab and walls have been eliminated, you can begin installing waterproofing. Sometimes this step is skipped, and completely in vain: waterproofing is extremely important for the quality arrangement of a residential balcony. If the waterproofing layer is not installed, moisture will definitely enter the room. In addition to dampness and mold, such exposure also leads to the fact that the floor insulation on the balcony loses most of its properties: almost all thermal insulation materials do not withstand the influence of moisture well and lose their characteristics. Thus, we can come to the conclusion that waterproofing is necessary. There are several types of waterproofing: Each of them has its own characteristics and requires special attention. For cast waterproofing, various “liquid” materials are used. These include “liquid glass”, bitumen perlite, foam epoxy and other materials with similar characteristics. A common feature characteristic of each of the presented compositions is a liquid structure. Application of cast waterproofing is very simple: the composition is poured onto the surface and leveled (most often using a roller). Depending on the materials, cast waterproofing can be applied hot or cold. To achieve maximum quality, cast waterproofing is applied in several layers so that its thickness is 2-3 mm. Each subsequent layer is applied only after the previous one has completely hardened. In order for waterproofing to be installed easily and efficiently, the surface must be dried before installation. Small sides about 20-25 cm high are placed on the lower part of the wall. For this, you can use any waterproofing material, even a regular polyethylene film. The installation of waterproofing from materials that require heating is carried out as follows: The process of applying a “cold” composition will be carried out according to the same algorithm, with the exception of the first point, since such compositions do not need to be heated. The peculiarity of such materials is that they usually take significantly longer to harden. A self-leveling floor can also be poured on top. By choosing in advance what to fill the floor on the balcony with, you can get everything done quickly and efficiently. For this type of waterproofing, bitumen mastics, polymer varnishes and other similar compositions are used. Main advantage coating waterproofing lies in the ease of its application without loss of quality: the effectiveness of such protection against moisture is quite high. Before applying coating compounds, the surface is first degreased and primed. The hardened waterproofing composition hardens and creates a dense film that protects the room from moisture penetration. Coating waterproofing can be applied in two ways: To achieve maximum effectiveness of waterproofing, it must be applied in at least two layers. Coating waterproofing has excellent characteristics and meets all requirements. A small caveat concerns only bitumen coatings - this material rarely lasts longer than 5-7 years due to its poor resistance low temperatures, as a result of which it cracks. The simplest and most affordable waterproofing is film. For its arrangement, the usual polyethylene film, which is very cheap and easy to install. The installation process looks extremely simple: This completes the installation of film waterproofing, and you can proceed to further actions. There are just a few things to consider when installing: For the installation of roll (walled) waterproofing, materials produced in the format of rolls or sheets are used. The entire surface of the floor is covered with such material, extending onto the wall about 1.5-2 meters. Roll waterproofing is made using bitumen and on a bitumen-polymer base. To lay the material, heating of its adhesive layer is required, for which it is used gas-burner or a hair dryer. Laying adhesive waterproofing is carried out according to the following algorithm: The process of laying roll waterproofing can be simplified by using special material with adhesive strip. To install such material, it is enough to remove protective film from the bottom of the roll before application. The canvas is pressed to the surface and connected to the base layer. After installing the waterproofing, you can start insulating the floor, but before that you need to decide how best to insulate the floor on the loggia. The market today is replete with various insulation materials, so the choice, on the one hand, can be difficult. On the other hand, the ability to choose makes it possible to choose the best option. The following materials can be used to insulate a balcony: The characteristics of these materials are worth considering in more detail. Insulation of the balcony floor with expanded clay is often carried out - the material is well known and quite common. Insulating expanded clay is available in three formats: Penoflex is foamed polyethylene produced in roll format. In addition to the usual penoflex, there is a variety with a foil surface, which prevents heat transfer to the walls, reflecting it in the opposite direction. If the conversation turns to insulating the floor on a balcony with penoplex, then this material is usually used as an additional material laid on top of the waterproofing layer. It is secured with tape and covered with lathing on top. Separate sheets of material are connected to each other with foil tape, resulting in a seamless coating. Having insulated the floor on the loggia with penoplex, you can lay any other material on top of it. insulation material, and such a design will provide maximum protection against heat loss (more details: ""). The most widespread among insulation materials is mineral wool, which is often used to insulate floors on balconies under tiles. This material owes its popularity to a lot of advantages: There are several types of mineral wool: glass wool, stone wool and slag wool. These materials have different characteristics, so the choice optimal option will be individual. As a rule, in most cases the choice falls on basalt stone wool, which is most convenient to work with. The only serious drawback of mineral wool is its poor resistance to moisture, therefore, for greater reliability, the material must be covered with a vapor barrier film on top, which will prevent moisture from entering the insulation. Installation of vapor barrier is quite simple: the film is stretched and fixed to the joists with ordinary staples. It is only important to position the film right side so that it can perform its functions. Better known as polystyrene foam, this material is very often used for both interior and exterior decoration of buildings. Expanded polystyrene is produced with a wide variety of density and thickness levels, depending on which its characteristics change: low-density material provides better protection, but is much more fragile. Polystyrene foam has many advantages - it is lightweight, comfortable and can be easily adjusted to the desired size using a stationery knife. All these qualities, coupled with low cost and the ability to use in combination with other insulation materials, make polystyrene foam one of the most popular insulation materials. During the installation of polystyrene foam, gaps will appear between the joists, which must be filled with polyurethane foam in order to achieve good insulation efficiency. This must be remembered when insulating the balcony floor with polystyrene foam. One of the methods of insulating a balcony is laying insulation using lathing. This method may look exactly the same for different insulation materials. Before you insulate the floor on the balcony under the tiles using lathing, you need to find out how it will be installed. The sequence of actions looks like this: The supports in this case are U-shaped parts made of bent metal strip. A beam is mounted between the shelves of the parts, located at the required height. The timber is fastened using self-tapping screws. The distance between the supports is about 50-60 cm. First, they are laid out next to the walls, and then, at a specified interval, they are mounted across the entire width of the balcony. The elements are fastened to the floor with anchors. Cuts are made in the insulation at the same intervals at which the holder shelves are spaced. Insulating material is placed on metal support and presses himself to the floor. Having completed this operation with each support, the remaining space between the rows is also filled with insulation. After laying the insulation, you need to install the bars in the holders and screw them into the holes with self-tapping screws. When performing work, be sure to check the level so that the raised floor is strictly horizontal. Another type of structure used to create insulation with sheathing is studs. This design looks like this: This design is very convenient and allows you to easily lay the insulation at the level of the logs. Often the role of metal studs is played by plastic stands that need to be screwed into logs. This option has a place, but there is one difficulty - the bars for the joists must be wide enough so that large-width plastic posts can fit through them. Otherwise, everything is done in the same way as with metal studs. If the previous schemes are not suitable for some reason, then you can use a self-assembled structure made from bars. Such lathing can only be installed if the concrete slab is initially absolutely flat, otherwise it will not be possible to create a flat floor. The sheathing bars will be connected by metal corners, and the elements located along the walls are attached to them using anchors. The resulting floor can be leveled along the upper edge of the sheathing, for which a straight line is cut on the wall, along which the side bars are attached. The lifting of one of the supports of the sheathing indicates the need to place a small piece of board or plywood under it. If the floor level is initially high enough and the floor will practically not rise, then a sheathing can be made from two layers of beams located perpendicularly. The bottom row will be attached to base surface, and the second - to the first. With this design, the first row of joists is glued to the floor slab polyurethane foam. When using this scheme, you can fix the second row only after the insulation fills the entire space between the guides. One of the most simple ways Raising the floor level on the balcony is a design made as follows: Having finished laying the sheathing and insulation, you can begin laying the finishing coating. This method of floor insulation, as the name suggests, does not require the creation of lathing. To implement this method, bulk floors are used (the so-called “dry screed”). This method is quite popular and is well suited for insulating the floor on a loggia. It is immediately worth noting that for bulk floors it is imperative to use polyethylene waterproofing, preferably in combination with another layer waterproofing material. The film is fixed with adhesive tape, and a damper tape is glued on top, which levels out the expansion of the floor when the temperature changes. Beacons are installed along the walls before work, which will need to be used to guide when leveling bulk material. Having leveled the floor, you need to lay gypsum fiber panels on top of it, which are attached to each other using special locks. In order for the slabs to be joined together with the highest quality, they must be additionally fixed with any adhesive polymer mixture. A floor covering is laid above the insulation, which can also affect the temperature in the room. Of course, the choice of material for a finished floor is an individual thing, but it is better to choose a coating that will be comfortable and warm to the touch. Even if you know how to insulate a loggia floor under tiles, you can reduce the effectiveness of insulation with an unsuitable floor covering. A good choice would be wood or plywood, covered with carpet, laminate or linoleum on top. In any case, before choosing a flooring material, it is worth finding out what materials are generally used as a finishing coating, and what characteristics they have.
Conclusion Insulating the floor on a balcony with your own hands can be done without any problems - there is nothing complicated in this work. It’s enough just to design everything correctly, choose suitable materials and pay attention to details when working - and then the balcony will be a warm, useful room that can be used for any purpose. Do-it-yourself insulation of the floor on the balcony, choice of material, installation technology, finishing. The balcony is a remote structure. It is connected to the house only by the slab on which it is located. This is how it differs from a loggia, which additionally has 3 main walls and can be insulated with any materials. The balcony cannot be additionally loaded. Since the work is planned to be done with your own hands, the insulation must meet the following requirements: be light in weight, easy to cut, and easy to install. Expanded polystyrene and mineral wool meet these requirements. Polystyrene foam consists of many bubbles isolated from each other. The ratio of polystyrene and air in the insulation is 2 to 98. The size of the bubbles is from 5 to 15 mm. Polystyrene foam is most often used to insulate floors on balconies due to its low cost. It is also worth noting its other positive characteristics: Specifications penoplex is more attractive than polystyrene foam: Important! If the balcony is on the south side, play it safe and insulate the balcony with mineral wool. The operating temperature range of polystyrene foam is small. Basalt wool comes in different densities. The higher this indicator, the stronger the material conducts heat. Release forms - rolls, mats, plates, as well as a foil variety. Characteristics of basalt wool:Preparatory work
Balcony waterproofing
Cast waterproofing
Coating waterproofing
Film waterproofing
Roll waterproofing
Selection of insulation material
Expanded clay
Penoflex
Mineral wool
Expanded polystyrene
Insulation of balcony floors with sheathing
Scheme 1
Scheme 2
Scheme 3
Scheme 4
Scheme 5
Floor insulation without lathing
Finished floor installation
Choosing insulation for the balcony floor
Expanded polystyrene for thermal insulation of floors on the balcony
You can insulate the floor on the balcony with your own hands using polystyrene foam and penoplex. Both materials belong to expanded polystyrene, but differ in technical characteristics.
Penoplex is produced by extrusion. It differs from ordinary polystyrene foam not only in technical characteristics, but also in appearance. Penoplex has a structure that is uniform throughout the thickness of the slab, so it is easy to cut: a fine-toothed hacksaw is enough to cut the insulation without waste. Consists of loosely connected balls. When cutting with any tool, it crumbles, cracks, breaks.
Penoplex is more expensive than polystyrene foam, but its technical characteristics are more attractive. Both materials are flammable (G3 and G4), so they are not recommended for use unprotected (under concrete screed or plaster is allowed). Mineral wool for insulating balcony floors
There are several varieties of this insulation. These are stone wool, slag wool and glass wool made from quartz. The technical characteristics of the material are varied. Mineral wool does not burn. The basalt variety has an upper threshold of operating temperatures of 1000°C. In this case, it will only melt.
Basalt wool is an ideal insulation material for balcony floors. The only thing is that it weighs significantly more than polystyrene foam. Foil insulation for thermal insulation of the floor on the balcony
There are several varieties of such materials - based on polystyrene foam, polyethylene foam and mineral wool. The thickness of such insulation is less than their non-foil counterparts. They work on a double principle:
The price of foil insulation depends on the quality of the foil. The thicker and stronger it is, the more expensive the material. For insulating the floor on the balcony, an excellent option would be combined insulation: polystyrene foam/penoplex/mineral wool plus foil insulation based on polyethylene foam (penofol). This material has the smallest thickness. Layed on top of the main insulation, it will do an excellent job of pushing heat back into the room.
Important! Choose materials for floor insulation on the balcony from trusted manufacturers. Do not buy from markets where storage conditions may be violated.
Technology of thermal insulation of the floor on the balcony with polystyrene foam
Despite their flammability, polystyrene foam and penoplex remain priority materials. The technology for laying them on the floor is the same and has some subtleties. For rigid installation, purchase only polyurethane compounds or dry cement-based mixtures. If the glue includes organic matter, the polystyrene foam will dissolve. To minimize cold bridges, lay the insulation in two layers and seal the seams with metallized tape or silicone sealant. Optimal combination: polystyrene foam + foil polyethylene foam. An electric heated floor is often laid on top of such a “pie”.
Tools and materials for thermal insulation of the floor on the balcony
To work you will need thermal insulation material(foam plastic or penoplex), foil insulation (penofol, foil-isolon), glue (if rigid installation is intended), wooden beams to create a base for the future floor and a set of tools, additional materials and useful items:
- A broom for cleaning the balcony slab from debris and dust.
- Vacuum cleaner for final dust removal of the surface.
- Self-tapping screws, drill-driver.
- Building level - balcony slab need to check for evenness. If the deviations are large, you will have to do alignment.
- Dry mixture for self-leveling cement screed if the floor on the balcony is uneven.
- Fine-toothed hacksaw for cutting polystyrene foam.
- Spatulas - wide and serrated.
- Needle roller for leveling cement screed and for rolling insulation boards.
Preparatory work before floor insulation
This stage includes removing debris and dust, checking the horizontal level of the base and pouring concrete screed, if required:
- Clear the balcony of foreign objects, remove debris and dust.
- Check the base for levelness. Knock down obvious bumps, cement the depressions mortar. If there is a large difference in height, it is better to fill in thin cement screed. To do this, set the boundaries of the future floor along the perimeter of the balcony slab - lay it on cement mortar one brick border (use hollow bricks, place them with the spoon side on the base).
- Prepare a container for water and a bag with dry screed. Pour the mixture into the water and stir using a mixing attachment attached to a drill. Let stand for 5 minutes and stir again.
- Pour the mixture onto the prepared base and smooth it with a needle roller so that there are no bubbles. The thickness of the screed is flush with the curb.
- Allow the mixture to harden and gain working strength.
Floating installation of polystyrene foam on the floor
This installation of expanded polystyrene is much simpler, and the process itself is cleaner, since it does not require working with adhesive mixtures.
Procedure for floating installation:
- Lay a beam with a cross-section of 15 x 15 cm along the perimeter of the balcony. Before laying, treat the wood with any composition that protects against rotting (antiseptic) and dry.
- Place it on the floor waterproofing film. Thick polyethylene will do. This is especially important if the floor on the balcony is insulated with polystyrene foam. Penoplex does not require waterproofing, since its water absorption is minimal.
- Secure the film to the beam with a construction stapler. The waterproofing must completely cover the tree.
- Lay the first layer of insulation. Place the sheets like a brick bond, the vertical seams should not coincide.
- Lay a second layer of insulation. There should be a whole slab of foam plastic/penoplex above each seam.
- Tape the seams with metallic tape.
- Cover the material with foil insulation - penofol, foil-isolon. Insulate the joints with construction tape.
- Apply the finishing coat. The distance between the foil and the finished floor must be at least 3 cm.
Adhesive installation of polystyrene foam on the floor
The procedure for hard installation is somewhat different. You will need to prepare glue for foam plastic/penoplex on cement based in accordance with the instructions. You can use polyurethane, but it will cost much more.
Procedure for adhesive installation:
- Install the base for the future floor (frame made of wooden beam 15 x 15 cm around the perimeter of the balcony).
- Roll the foam/penoplex boards with a needle roller.
- Mix the adhesive mixture with water.
- Using a wide spatula, apply adhesive to the entire surface of the slab, removing excess with a notched spatula.
- Place the first slab in the corner of the balcony and press well.
- Continue with the rest of the insulation, following the principle of brick bonding.
- To seal the seams between the slabs and the timber, use silicone sealant.
- Place foil insulation on top and seal the joints with metallized tape.
- Make a finished floor from a tongue and groove board and varnish it. The insulation of the floor on the balcony with penoplex/foam plastic is completed.
Important! If the balcony is not heated, insulation is unlikely to help achieve a comfortable temperature on it. The best option An electric heated floor will be installed on top of such thermal insulation. But this will require the help of professionals.
Thermal insulation of the floor on the balcony with mineral wool
Such thermal insulation does not require a perfectly flat base, so the preparatory stage comes down to only cleaning the balcony slab from debris and dust. You will also need to level out obvious pits and bumps. Additionally, you can soak concrete base waterproofing mastic or use the classic version - dense polyethylene, which is much cheaper.
The procedure for insulating the floor on a balcony with mineral wool:
- Install timber around the perimeter on the prepared base.
- Put down the joists. Make a step along the width of the insulation boards. The material should fit tightly between the joists, with some space. This will help avoid cold bridges.
- Lay the waterproofing film over the joists and secure it with a stapler.
- Insert insulation between the joists. Use a rolled type of basalt wool, cut exactly to size (according to the width of the balcony).
- Place a vapor barrier membrane on top, secure it, and seal the joints with construction tape. You can replace the vapor barrier membrane with thin foil insulation.
- Seal the joints of the foil insulation with metallized tape.
- Install the sheathing on top. The thickness of the bar is at least 3 cm.
- Lay down the finishing layer of tarmac boards. Cover the finished floor with varnish.
Important! Use to insulate the floor on the balcony basalt wool. It has the lowest water absorption coefficient.
Watch a video about thermal insulation of the floor on the balcony:
Knowing how to insulate the floor on a balcony, you can easily turn this room into cozy office, winter garden or small greenhouse. Be sure to pre-calculate required thickness insulation for your region, consult with specialists about the additional load on the balcony slab and its maximum value.
