How to insulate a balcony?

Summer is not yet running out, but there is little time left to insulate the balcony and to solve other related problems. If someone decides to improve their living conditions, they need to get to work.

Many of the owners of apartments with balconies want to connect them to the room or to the kitchen. This is a rather serious problem, but it can be solved independently or with the help of experienced craftsmen. In the second case, more financial costs, but in the end you will get perfect results.

One of the central problems to be solved is the question of how to insulate the balcony. It is necessary to take into account many large and small issues that inevitably arise during redevelopment, even if it is insignificant.

It is necessary to insulate balconies and loggias in cases where a warm type of balcony is chosen in an apartment where it was decided to attach it to a room or kitchen. There are few differences in the methods of insulation in a panel house of any number of storeys. In "Khrushchev", the open balconies are small and not very convenient for glazing, but the problem can be solved, and the craftsmen can "revive" the old balcony as well. There are additional difficulties in glazing, insulation and finishing of balconies on the top floor.

Balconies in appearance, interior layout, functionality, insulation are as diverse as the houses they belong to. The glazed balcony also has its own varieties.

The graceful glass balcony along the entire perimeter and height is called French. Such balconies are installed in private buildings or special buildings. As a rule, they are not insulated, they serve as an excellent decoration for the house.

Panoramic glazed balconies can be classified as semi-warm, because a large area of ​​the glazed surface is not able to retain heat. Such balconies, like the stained glass one, serve more the aesthetics and design of the house. A warm balcony maintains room temperature, and often such balconies are connected to the room or to the apartment's kitchen.

A cold balcony usually looks like a warm one outwardly, but there is no heat inside, and therefore its arrangement can be much cheaper than other options. There are also balconies of the "bay windows" type, but they often play a decorative role and can increase the illumination of the room to which they are attached.

Finishing of balconies when insulating them should be carried out with the help of materials such as to withstand temperature extremes and possible penetration and accumulation of moisture for a long time. The resistance of these materials to fading due to sunlight (when they enter through the glass of a balcony window) is important.

Here is a rough list of parts on a well-insulated balcony:

• wind and moisture protection membrane;
• genital lag;
• floor insulation;
• heat-shielding membrane;
• tongue for the floor;
• laminate flooring;
• finishing panel;
• drainage;
• frame and installation profile of the window;
• vapor barrier membrane.

In order to insulate the balcony with high quality for many years, you need to choose insulation that is best suited for a specific category. The preservation of heat on the balcony and the price depend on the technological properties, heat protection. You can choose a heat-insulating material from a number of:

• extruded polystyrene foam, expandable polystyrene;
• Styrofoam;
• penoplex;
• foil-clad polyethylene foam (penofol and ecofol);
• fiberglass;
• mineral wool.

Materials made of synthetic resins with fillers are considered the best for thermal insulation of premises of different profiles and levels. Like all other insulating materials, they must meet certain requirements:

• low thermal conductivity;
• resistance to bacteria;
• high hydrophobicity;
• soundproofing;
• ease of machining.

The best materials to meet these requirements are extruded polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene in the form of panels that are easy to install. The thickness of the insulating material depends on the climatic conditions, the area of ​​the balcony, the chosen floor option. It is pertinent to recall that the installation of all parts for thermal insulation is carried out after the installation of the frame and bases for the windows.

If the owner of the house is to some extent familiar with the construction, repair business and already held a minimum set of tools in his hands, having familiarized himself with the procedure of work in general terms and having estimated his financial capabilities, you can start work with your own hands.

It is best when all the work is done by the masters, but this is no longer a very budget option. In most cases, the work is done independently. If there is a good step-by-step instruction, all the materials are calculated and prepared, then you yourself only have to correctly carry out all the stages of repair and insulation of the balcony. So, we need to carry out the insulation of the balcony, bearing in mind that we have just finished the glazing of our object. It has already been said about double-glazed windows.

It is worth deciding on the main material for thermal insulation. A cheaper option is mineral wool. She has many positive qualities, but she attracts moisture to herself. Better to spend a little money and buy boards of polystyrene or extruded polystyrene foam (EPS). Let's start with floor insulation:

1. Preparing surfaces for floor insulation work. It is necessary to seal the cracks in the concrete, all joints with the slabs and the wall with polyurethane foam.
2. Mark the floor for attaching the grille. The step inside the grating should be about 10 mm larger than the width of the insulation board.
3. Lay 4x4 cm bars according to the markings or according to the thickness of the insulation. Install the extreme bars, retreating from the wall by 50-100 mm.
4. Lay slabs or sheets of insulation in the crate, gluing them to the floor with liquid nails or special glue.
5. Lay foil penofol or ecofol with foil to the foam.
6. Using self-tapping screws, attach plywood or chipboard sheets (thickness - 20 mm) to the bars.
7. Cover the floor with finishing (linoleum or ceramic tiles using a special technology).

We offer you to watch the video instruction on the insulation of the balcony below.

The walls of the balcony should be insulated using a similar technology. You just need to take into account the varieties of the location of the walls and glazing. Procedure:

1. Start by sealing all gaps.
2. Outline the attachment points for the lathing bars.
3. Bars 4x4 (or others, depending on the thickness of the insulation sheets) are attached to the wall at distances similar to those for floor insulation.
4. Glue the foam sheets with liquid nails.
5. Fill all cracks with polyurethane foam and glue it with mounting tape.
6. Lay foil-clad penofol on top of the insulation, with foil inside the balcony. The joints are also glued with tape.
7. On top of the foil layer, mount another crate for fixing the trim.
8. Apply finishing.

We offer you step-by-step instructions for professional insulation of balconies for viewing.

You can make the inside finish using various materials for sheathing the entire surface. Each type of material requires the performance of work according to a specific technology. You can choose a material from a number of:

• various plastic panels;
• ceramic, tile, glazed glossy and matte tiles;
• drywall (as a basis for subsequent processing);
• decorative types of stones;
• plaster for painting;
• lining made of different types of wood.

A little about the cladding. More often than others, wooden "lining" and plastic panels are used as cladding, as a result, the inner surface of the balcony acquires a pleasant appearance, pleasing to the eye. These materials are resistant to various influences, they are waterproof.

Plastic panels are not afraid of temperature extremes and rotting. Installation of such panels is simple, resulting in a seamless surface that is easy to clean and wash. Lining is the most environmentally friendly cladding, therefore it is in demand by most balcony owners.

Now they began to widely use drywall for cladding. I must say that it can only be used in warm balconies. We'll have to putty, and then paint or wallpaper, but then everything pays off with an excellent design.

If you have sufficient funds, then cork panels are perfect for cladding. Installation of such panels is also simple. They are resistant to temperature extremes, do not fade in the sun, withstand any humidity, do not let in odors, and are not afraid of mold and mildew.

When insulating, the floor had to be slightly raised. When the ceiling is also insulated, the total volume of the balcony will decrease. This should not worry - on the contrary, more heat will be retained. If this is not the last floor, then your ceiling is the floor of the balcony of the neighbor living above you, and it is important to ask if his object is insulated. You may have to limit yourself to filling gaps and finishing your ceiling. In other cases, you should start warming by following step-by-step instructions, which differ little from the previous ones.

Typical mistakes

• Start work without fully studying all the necessary recommendations and advice from experienced craftsmen.
• Transition to other stages of work, without waiting for the fixing of materials, solutions, adhesives.
• The use of substandard and defective materials, loss of quality when the cost becomes cheaper.
• Work without a certain stock of materials, a waste of time to purchase what is missing. The stock of material should be 5-10% higher than the calculated one.
• The number and functionality of the tool do not provide for the performance of all types of work.

Having successfully avoided all mistakes and gained good experience, you end up with a warm, beautiful and cozy balcony.