A well-equipped balcony significantly increases usable space, which is so lacking in city apartments. The main condition for such arrangement is proper thermal insulation, which can be done on your own. The most labor-intensive stage is insulating the floor on the balcony, which is why it takes more time. You need to start working by studying the characteristics of popular insulation materials and how to install them.
Features of thermal insulation of a balcony
Since the balcony protrudes outward, the floor slabs are constantly exposed to environment. They freeze, are heated by the sun, draw moisture from the air and, as a result, become increasingly destroyed. If, during insulation, the floor is covered with heavy material and a thick layer of concrete screed is poured on top, the ceilings may not withstand it and collapse. Improper preparation of the base also contributes to collapse, for example, if the reinforcing frame in the slab itself is damaged.
To avoid such complications, before starting work you should very carefully check the condition of the balcony floors, the integrity of all its structures,
Moreover, you need to take into account not only the weight of the screed and the finishing coating, but also the weight of the parapet, double-glazed windows, wall and ceiling decoration, as well as the furniture with which the balcony will be furnished. According to the standards, d permissible load on balcony ceilings is 200 kg/m2, provided that the condition of the slabs is satisfactory.
Which insulation is better
Most often, balconies are insulated with mineral wool, penoplex, penofol and polystyrene foam - lightweight and easy-to-use materials.
Mineral wool retains heat perfectly, does not allow street noise to pass through, does not burn or emit harmful fumes, and is not damaged.
A layer of wool 4 cm thick corresponds to thermal insulation properties brickwork 60 cm thick. It is produced in rolls and slabs, is easy to install, and lasts a long time. But at the same time, mineral wool is a very hygroscopic material, and after getting wet it completely loses its ability to retain heat. In addition, the porous structure promotes the development of microorganisms, which negatively affects the strength of the structure and the microclimate of the balcony. It will help to avoid this high-quality waterproofing ceilings and the insulation itself.
Penoplex and foam plastic have similar properties. They are available in slabs of various thicknesses and densities; installation does not require special effort, and such thermal insulation lasts for years. Due to the presence of fire retardants in the composition, these materials do not burn, which is also a big plus. The difference between penoplex and polystyrene foam is its denser structure, increased thermal insulation properties and chemical inertness, which is why it is much more expensive.
Penofol is called foamed polyethylene, covered on one or both sides with aluminum foil. It is produced in rolls with a thickness of 3 to 10 mm, and is connected at the joints with aluminum tape. The material perfectly muffles sounds and does not allow moisture to pass through at all, but does not have the highest thermal insulation properties. For greater efficiency, it is laid together with other insulation, for example, polystyrene foam boards.
Prices for thermal insulation materials
Thermal insulation materials
Preparing for work
The preparatory stage is very important, because the quality of floor insulation largely depends on this. Gaps in ceilings, mold in corners, large uneven surfaces concrete base will reduce the effectiveness of thermal insulation significantly, money and time will be wasted. Therefore, you should work hard and conscientiously.
Step 1. Dismantling the coating
Boards, linoleum or other covering are removed and taken out. If the floor is tiled and has no defects or chips, it is simply cleaned of dust and debris. Cracked and peeling concrete screed you need to knock it all the way down to the floor slab, fill out the cracks around the perimeter of the floor and clean it of debris.
Step 2. Repair work
After removing the old floors, you should carefully inspect the floor slabs and assess their condition. You also need to check the strength and integrity of the parapet, the joints of the balcony with the wall of the house. If necessary, the structures are strengthened, the joints are sealed with mortar or blown in with foam. Individual defects in floor slabs are eliminated using building mixtures, if the base surface is too uneven, better in layers 3-4 cm. When the floor has hardened, the ceiling, walls and windows are insulated, but without finishing.
Step 3: Waterproof the floor
The dry and clean base is coated with a primer and dried again, and then a waterproofing membrane or ordinary plastic film is laid. The edges of the film must be placed 10 cm on the walls and fixed with a stapler; adjacent pieces of film are overlapped, and the seams are taped. Can be used coating waterproofing: the screed, cleared of dust, is treated with liquid mastic based on bitumen, dried, and another layer is applied. After the mastic has dried, the floor is painted with a special polymer mixture.
Procedure for floor insulation
To work you will need:
- jigsaw;
- drill with attachments;
- polyurethane foam;
- thermal insulation material;
- polyurethane foam;
- construction knife;
- pencil, tape measure;
- plywood;
- wood primer;
- bars 50x50 mm;
- self-tapping screws
Step 1. Laying the first layer
They take sheets of insulation (penofol or expanded polystyrene sheets), adjust them to size and lay them on a waterproofing film. You need to make sure that there are no gaps in the corners and at the joints - the cold will penetrate through them. The seams between the plates should not coincide; for this, each sheet is shifted to the side.
Step 2. Installation of logs
The treated ones are cut to the width of the floor and installed on the insulation. The outer beams should be located right next to the walls, the intermediate beams should be located every 50-60 cm. After this, a level is placed on the logs and the horizontal is checked. All beams are leveled, after which they are secured with self-tapping screws in at least 4 places. The outer screws are screwed in at a distance of 7 cm from the ends of the beams.
Step 3. Laying the second layer of insulation
Now it is necessary to lay the second layer of material tightly between the beams. The insulation is cut to the size of the cells and inserted one by one between the joists, trying not to create gaps. The thermal insulation layer should not rise above the beams, this will interfere with the installation of the finishing coating. The resulting cracks are blown out polyurethane foam.
Step 4: Finishing
If mineral wool is used for insulation, another layer of waterproofing will be required, which will protect the insulation from condensation from the room. For polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam, such protection is not needed. Plywood, pre-primed and dried, or boards 30 mm thick are stuffed on top of the logs. You can also cover the insulation with a semi-dry or dry screed, but this will increase the load on the floors. Plywood and boards can be covered with linoleum, laid on them, or made into a simple plank floor.
Insulation with penofol and expanded polystyrene
With combined insulation, the procedure is slightly different:
This is where the installation of the finished floor ends and begins. If everything is done according to the rules, the balcony room will remain dry and warm even in severe frost. But the appearance of condensation will indicate an incorrectly selected thickness of insulation or poorly executed waterproofing.
Video - how to insulate the floor on a balcony
Many apartments are not very spacious and therefore all residents always look at the balcony as a possible additional room in which they can make their own office or accommodate children. Of course, to achieve this goal, you need to glaze the loggia, and also take care of it thermal insulation properties Oh. After all, living or being in the cold is not only unpleasant, but also bad for health. Insulating a balcony is a very important process, and this article will tell you about its features. More precisely, she will tell you how to insulate the floor on the balcony.
From the very beginning, apartment owners need to check the suitability of the loggia for installation on it additional room. It is worth understanding that these elements of the house are constantly influenced by everyone atmospheric phenomena. If a balcony has been open for many years, it may become unusable or partially damaged. It is clear that in such a situation, insulating a balcony without repairing it can turn into a waste of money.
That's why the right step The first priority is to assess the condition of the loggia.
First they insulate the walls, then they take on the floor.
Insulate the walls You should not think that insulating the floor on the balcony alone is sufficient. In this case, the walls will allow cold to pass through, and the desired microclimate will not be achieved.
Also, before starting a process such as insulating the floor on the loggia, the foundation is prepared. This is done in the following sequence:
- Removing old flooring(if it exists, of course). Only the concrete base should remain.
- Working out every crack. The fallen cement is removed.
Working out every crack - Surface cleaning. It is better to clean it using a vacuum cleaner. You can wash it, but then you need to wait for the surface to dry completely.
- The cracks are covered with a primer and filled with cement mortar. It is also used to fill joints formed by concrete slabs.
Fill with cement mortar - Waiting for the solution to dry completely.
- Organization.
Organization of waterproofing The last stage depends on what will be used to insulate the loggia. If the insulation is penofol, then waterproofing is not necessary, because the material perfectly retains moisture. In other cases, care should be taken to provide a waterproof barrier.
The floor on the loggia is waterproofed using thick polyethylene or roofing felt. Sheets of both materials are overlapped. It is advisable to connect them. For polyethylene film You can use waterproof tape. For the second material - bitumen mastic.
They insulate the floor on a loggia or balcony by installing joists and placing heat-insulating material between them. A subfloor is installed on top. Many people know that there is such a way as placing thermal insulation material and.
Insulate the floor on the loggia You should not resort to this approach, since the screed weighs a lot and creates a strong load on the balcony itself.
Therefore, when determining how to make a floor on a balcony and insulate it, all people reject the option with a screed.
The joists raise the floor level.
Experts note that this level should not exceed the floor level in the apartment rooms.
It should be made the same or less. Depending on this rule, heat is selected insulating material. The thinnest floor on the loggia can be made using penofol, which is always used with penoplex.
One loggia insulation to create desired temperature in winter is insufficient. To do this, you need to organize heating. It can be made by anyone. The exception is centralized. It is prohibited to take him out into the loggia. Most often, electric radiators are used or they create a warm floor on the balcony.
People are often concerned with the question of how to insulate the floor on the balcony? For this process they can use:
- Foam plastic;
- Penoplex;
- Mineral wool;
- Penofol;
- Expanded clay.
The first option is very common due to its low cost. It is produced in sheets, the thickness of which ranges from 2 to 10 centimeters. Since the balcony is a cold room, from below which there is often only cold air, it is better to use sheets with a thickness of 10 cm.
Styrofoam Many people insulate their balcony floors with penoplex. This material is also called foamed polystyrene. In addition to the fact that it is endowed with excellent thermal insulation ability, it also allows very little steam to pass through, and is lightweight and easy to use. For insulation, you can use 2-3-5 cm thick penoplex.
Penoplex Mineral wool is also a commonly used material. It is produced in the form of mats or in in roll form. In both cases, the thickness is 50-100 millimeters. It does not burn, but can absorb moisture. Moisture does not destroy it, but deteriorates its thermal insulation properties. Therefore, waterproofing is mandatory. During installation, it cannot be compacted, since the air placed between the fibers will escape and thermal conductivity will increase.
It will be colder. Penofol is a material that allows you to insulate a loggia with your own hands very well. It is a combination of polyethylene foam and aluminum foil. This composition also allows it to retain moisture and sounds. The foil can be on one or both sides.
Penofol The thickness of this insulation is 3-10 millimeters. It is produced in rolls. To connect the two strips you need to use aluminum tape. According to technology, this material must be used together with penoplex.
Use penofol together with penoplex Expanded clay is not the best option. Its ability to retain heat is worse than that of polystyrene foam. In addition, for it to become a reliable heat insulator, you need to pour a sufficiently thick layer. Which is not very undesirable.
Expanded clay Floor installation on joists
The logs are placed on an exposed layer of waterproofing and a layer of penofol (if used). Penofol is laid in two layers. After installation is completed, each layer around the entire perimeter of the balcony is treated with foam.
Next, measure the width of the balcony. Then they take the beams and cut them. The cross-sectional size of the beams is selected depending on the thickness of the heat-insulating material. The latter should hide between the lags or be equal to them.
The outermost logs should lie near the walls. The distance between the block and the wall is at least 5 cm. A distance of 50 cm should be maintained between all other bars.
It is worth laying out logs using a level.
For what? To reduce the hassle of leveling the subfloor. In the right places, wooden dies are placed under the block.
Screws are used for fixation. Four is enough. The last screws are placed so that there is 7-10 cm between them and the end of the bar. After fixing the lag, heat-insulating material is placed. Its sheets should fit tightly between the bars. If insulation with penoplex or other material is accompanied by the formation of cracks, then this defect is filled with foam.
You should lay a vapor barrier membrane on top of the insulation yourself. Then cross beams are nailed on top (placed along the length of the balcony) and attached to them chipboard sheets
or plywood.
Afterwards the flooring is installed. It is worth saying that this is one of the options for how to insulate the floor on the balcony. There are many of them and everyone decides what to choose.
Warm floor It is advisable to organize cable or on the balcony. Water heated floor is not good option
Before organizing such a heating system, you always need to insulate the floor with penoplex or other material. If the heated floor on the balcony is cable, then cover the layer of thermal insulation with penofol. The side with aluminum is placed up. It will reflect the heat created by the cable.
To fix a heating element, use mounting tape.
Fix the heating element It is installed every 0.5 meters. Thanks to it, the cable is laid out, observing the required step. The tape is fixed with screws. It is best to place it above the bars.
Fill the screed A film heated floor on the balcony can help avoid screeding. It is better to install it on top of a base insulated with penoplex and covered with a subfloor. On top of the plywood they put a heat-reflecting material with their own hands - metallized lavsan. Material containing aluminum foil is prohibited. Lavsan is secured with tape.
Lavsan is secured with tape Then lay out the heating film so that the copper strips are at the bottom.
Next, fix it with tape or dowels. You can use staples. The last two elements must intersect the panel in special places. They should do this at a distance of 6 millimeters from conductive parts. Thanks to this, the warm floor on the balcony will be safe.
The terminals with wires are fixed in the film, then a temperature sensor is placed and everything is connected to the thermostat.
Video
In this video you will learn how to properly insulate a balcony floor and more.
Thanks to this material get a lot of useful information.
Photo source: pro-uteplenie.ru; www.xn——8kcg4aacodneodjyj5b.xn--p1ai
Do-it-yourself floor insulation on a balcony is usually done when installing closed frames, when choosing cheap option construction of an insulated balcony. It is not difficult to carry out such work yourself if the technology is carefully followed and good insulation is used.
Choice of insulation
It should be noted right away that insulating the balcony floor will not improve the microclimate if all other balcony structures are not insulated. Insulation of the loggia floor is carried out according to similar technology with balcony insulation, so in the article we will consider one option - balconies, implying that the same insulation can be used to finish the floor on the loggia.
Insulation of the floor on the loggia (floor on the balcony) must be done very carefully, taking into account that the difference outside temperature behind the walls of the balcony and inside the insulated structure, can cause condensation to form on internal structures, if the thermal insulation of structures is poorly done or was not provided at all.
Condensation, in turn, can cause rotting building structures, the appearance of mold and mildew, which is why insulating a balcony is a very responsible operation.
How to insulate the floor on the balcony? It's time to tell you what materials should be used to make the thermal insulation of the balcony floor more reliable.
Insulation materials
You can insulate the floors on the balcony using classic insulation materials: expanded clay gravel, mineral mats or basalt wool, foam plastic. How best to insulate the floor on a balcony with expanded clay will be discussed below.
Insulation: expanded clay
This thermal insulation material can be used to insulate various building structures, including balcony floors. Expanded clay gravel is characterized by its low weight, excellent thermal insulation properties, strength, durability, resistance to moisture and environmental safety, because expanded clay is produced from natural materials.
Do-it-yourself floor insulation using expanded clay granules does not require special knowledge construction technology, it is important to remember that the thermal insulation qualities of the material increase with a sufficiently significant backfill height.
To begin with, you should make a box from the profile around the perimeter of the balcony, which is attached to balcony slab self-tapping screws. All cracks between the floor and the profile should be sealed with cement mortar - ideally, the profile is fixed to a cement mortar mortar.
It is better to insulate the floor with dry expanded clay so that moisture does not accumulate inside the backfill.
Placed on top of the filled expanded clay cement-sand screed, after which you can install the finished balcony floor. When using expanded clay to insulate a balcony slab, you should accept the fact that the height of the balcony will decrease by at least 30 cm.
Insulation: mineral (basalt) wool
Mineral or basalt wool is considered the most effective means for insulation construction. Do-it-yourself insulation of the loggia floor using mineral wool slabs is easy to install and efficient. The insulating layer must be insulated from condensation, so a layer of waterproofing material should be laid down onto the concrete balcony slab.
Along the perimeter of the balcony you can lay wooden blocks, securing them to the floor. The logs are laid on the floor at a distance equal to the width of a sheet of mineral or basalt wool. It is necessary to insulate the floors on the balcony with mineral wool very carefully; the mats are laid between the beams, ensuring that there are no cracks or gaps.
It is very important to fill out wooden grate mineral wool to the very top; if the thickness of the material is insignificant, the wool is laid in a second layer, adding until the upper surface of the mats is equal to the top mark of the beams.
How to insulate the floor on a balcony with your own hands, following installation technology thermal insulation materials? A special film is laid on top of the mineral wool slabs - a vapor barrier, on top of which the subfloor is laid.
To install a subfloor, you need to prepare thick plywood, edged boards or OSB. The final balcony floor covering is made of linoleum or other finishing materials.
We will tell you below how to properly insulate the floor on a balcony using polystyrene foam sheets.
Insulation: polystyrene foam
Polystyrene foam sheets have high thermal insulation properties, have an even geometric shape and specified dimensions, which greatly simplifies the calculation of the need for material, its transportation and installation.
Insulating the floor on a balcony with polystyrene foam can be done using two different technologies. The first option is absolutely similar to insulating the floor with mineral wool mats. Logs are laid along the balcony slab at intervals that are multiples of the width of the foam sheets.
The cut pieces of insulation are tightly inserted into the holes in the sheathing. All gaps can be sealed with polyurethane foam, so it is not necessary to be precise when cutting the material.
Polystyrene foam laid in one row cannot guarantee good quality thermal insulation, so the sheathing is filled in height until the insulation layer is equal to the surface of the bars.
The number of layers of insulation depends on the size of the block and the thickness of the foam sheet.
The second and subsequent rows of insulation are laid with overlap, overlapping the joints of the lower layer; the pieces of foam plastic are held together during installation using liquid nails. The second option for floor insulation using polystyrene foam is carried out over a pre-made cement screed. The screed helps to level the base of the balcony slab, which over time may have chipped potholes and slopes.
A layer of roofing felt is laid on the finished screed, then polystyrene foam is laid in several rows with the seams staggered. The third layer is a vapor barrier made of PVC film or other materials.
When the three-layer insulation cake is laid, a screed of cement-sand mortar.
Now you know how to insulate a loggia floor with your own hands using foam sheets.
Insulation: penoplex
Penoplex – modern insulation, the advantages of which consumers appreciated as soon as the material appeared on the market. How to insulate the floor on a balcony with penoplex? To do this, you need to prepare the surface of the balcony slab by pouring a screed of cement-sand mortar. When the screed has thoroughly dried, you should begin cutting the foam sheets to the size of the balcony.
If one sheet of polystyrene foam is missing across the width of the loggia or balcony, you should cut out an additional piece. Penoplex slabs are fastened into a groove, so there are no gaps or cracks between them. The cut ends are secured with polyurethane foam.
The insulation is attached directly to the balcony slab, for which different angles Holes are drilled diagonally, which pass through the foam and penetrate the reinforced concrete base slab. Then I screw self-tapping screws into the holes, which secure the foam boards to the balcony floor.
Watch the video on how to insulate a floor with penoplex.
Penoplex floors are different high strength and ease of execution. The laid slabs can be used for immediate installation. finishing coat floor, which can be easily done even by a person far from construction.
Insulation: penofol
Innovative construction material penofol combined the functions of insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier at the same time. The material is produced with a one-sided or two-sided reflective coating, laid on the base balcony slab without underlying ties and gaskets.
Conclusion
Insulation for the floor on the balcony should be selected especially carefully, taking into account all design features balcony (floor base, type of glazing chosen, materials for wall construction), economic opportunities.
All the knowledge described in the article was acquired with my own hands. In my opinion they can be considered authoritative. However, I don’t want to offend anyone. If you don’t share my reasoning, then that’s okay.
You will find a lot of useful information in this article. Regardless of whether you are a customer, an installer, or decide to do it yourself.
Types of insulation
On the balconies the best insulation 2 things are used to install the floor. The first is polystyrene foam. In the form of Penoplex, Techno Nicole, Ursa. This is the same product different names. The second thing is mineral wool various densities, it is also called stone.
Foam insulation is also used.
But you can only consider it to save money. It's worse to work with him. Polystyrene foam cannot be stepped on (it cannot withstand weight and is pressed through) unlike extruded polystyrene foam. And the polystyrene foam falls into balls over the years.
Some guys use penofol. This insulation on the balcony is completely unnecessary, sometimes harmful to the floor. We wrote about it in detail below, under the heading “inappropriate insulation”.
Subtleties of floor insulation technology
As a rule, the floor on the loggia is made as follows. First, a sheathing is made from timber with a section of 40*40 or 40*50. The floor is leveled with lathing and raised if necessary.
Plywood or board is laid on top of the timber. Either linoleum or underlay + laminate is laid on top of the plywood.
Since at the time of installation of thermal insulation the bars are already fixed. The insulation itself is difficult. It is difficult to install high-quality insulation between the beams and it takes a long time to feel it immediately when you work with your own hands.
At this point, most installers throw it in there as best they can. They penalize if necessary and close it before the customer sees it.
It should be noted that there are two main scenarios of action. The first option is needed if you are raising the floor level on the loggia and the second option if you are not raising the level.
If you don't raise the level then you need to plywood sheet lay immediately on top of the insulation. As a rule, there is a gap from the top of the foam to the bottom edge of the plywood. It is done so that the plywood does not put pressure on the insulation and lies flat on the beam.
In this case you can do high-quality installation. Since the insulation lies on concrete floor all between the bars. It’s convenient to foam it here. When the plywood covers the timber, closed narrow layers are formed - honeycombs.
If you do insulation and raise the floor, not even by much, 8 - 10 cm. Then you get the second scenario. The beam hangs in the air; the insulation lies on the concrete itself. Under the bars there is an empty space through which air flows.
This space is the main headache for installers. I'll explain everything now. It turns out that many things cannot be done perfectly. It can be good, but it still can’t be perfect.
The same thing with foaming thermal insulation in inconvenient places. You can foam it, but you can’t do it so that there are no holes anywhere.
Through small holes in the seams, cold air enters the surface of the insulation. He can enter the slab area from the street (if you have a balcony with a metal parapet or a loggia with holes under the apron).
Still icy air is produced from warm air. In winter, warm air reaches the surface of the slab through the seams in the insulation. It is then cooled due to its low temperature. Then it returns under the subfloor, but now cold.
Due to these micro-movements, the air between the plywood and the insulation is always cooled. If there is an empty space under the beam, then this air is mixed throughout the entire area under the floor. He will always be cold. Regardless of what layer you have - 3 cm or 5 cm, it doesn’t matter. I repeat, it’s not all about the insulation, but the quality of the work. As preparation and observation skills for installers.
We are struggling with empty space under the floor in the loggias. For this reason Lately We started installing mineral wool on the floor. Mineral wool is perfect as insulation for a balcony. It costs the same money as expanded polystyrene. However, polystyrene foam needs to be foamed. And foam is not cheap. For this reason, mineral wool is cheaper.
In case you raise the floor level. The entire space from the slab to the plywood can be lined with cotton wool. That is, lay it in 2-3 layers. Due to the lower cost, we will get the same cost. And eliminate air movement.
The use of mineral wool on the floor is justified and rational.
If you make insulation using polystyrene foam. Then ask the installers to foam the entire space under the bars, at the joints of the bars. To create sealed cells under the floor. Even if there is a weak point in one cell, the rest will not freeze.
How to attach insulation to the floor
Expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam is simply laid on a concrete base. All joints foam.
Sometimes installers make additional sheathing, screw in self-tapping screws and lay the sheets in the air. At a distance from the surface of the slab. This is a complex, long process.
Nailing insulation to the slab with plastic mushrooms is pointless. He's not going anywhere anyway.
The cotton wool is placed in the same way. Cut to size and place directly on the stove. There is no trick to this process. The only thing is that the wool needs to be cut into slightly larger pieces than the distance between the beams. It has elasticity and, under its own springiness, compresses the span.
Required insulation thickness
If a person with normal hands makes your balcony. That's for minimal insulation 20 mm polystyrene foam will be enough. On most balconies, including plywood, this will be enough. So that the floor is not cold most of the year.
If you are planning to make some kind of warm office or play area for the kids. Think about a minimum layer of 3 cm of polystyrene foam; 5 cm is excessive thickness for a loggia.
If you are adding a loggia to a room. The minimum required is either two layers of 2 cm polystyrene foam. Or, for example, one 5 cm thick.
If we talk about cotton wool, in all cases it is laid as much as will fit.
Unsuitable insulation
I want to tell you about the insulation that some people use on the floor. This is foil penofol. This material is not suitable for flooring. Moreover, he gets in the way there.
By the way, about penofol, we have very interesting article. I advise you to read it, I think you won’t waste your time.
Penofol is designed to be laid on a flat surface. And when you have bars and polystyrene with foam all around. About flat surface remains to be forgotten.
In such conditions, penofol can only be laid on top of the timber and in waves. It's hard to seal this with tape.
Plywood is laid on top of the penofol. When you step on the surface you apply a lot of pressure. Under these conditions, penofol can produce a crunchy sound of bursting cells.
Because the floor is done before the walls. You won't be able to simply open it and remake it. The sheathing of the parapet and walls will be tied to the plywood.
I do not recommend using penofol on the floor. If you still decide to use it, ask the installers to use thick plywood. Due to its rigidity, it will distribute pressure evenly across the penofol. What will protect you from the crunching sound on the loggia.
Insulation of floors under tiles
To lay tiles on the balcony, make a screed on the floor. But first they do insulation with penoplex under the screed. It is advisable to make the screed with expanded clay. The thicker you make it, the more money throw it down the drain.
We will write a separate article about this in the future. Now let’s say that neither the screed nor the tiles on the balcony have anything to do with the word warmth.
A balcony or loggia is the place where the screed will always freeze. And the tiles, regardless of the insulation, will be cold.
I have repeatedly cleaned the dust on such balconies with my own hands. This is not an easy task. Warm air from the room goes to the winter cold loggia. It comes into contact with an ice tile and condensation forms on it. A thin layer of moisture on top of the tiles attracts dust to the surface.
For this reason, think twice before laying tiles on warm balcony. On the cold please, but on warm tiles you don't need it.
Insulation with warm floors
Many balconies use insulation with underfloor heating. Often these are strip heated floors. Wire ones are rarely used. The latter are used with screed and tiles.
Most customers think that they can eliminate the installers’ mistakes with warm floors. Like, I’ll turn it on and it’ll still be warm. This is actually a misconception.
Film heated floor, does not work around the clock on the balcony. It is turned on rarely - only when needed. It takes time for him to warm up a cold balcony. A lot of time.
Therefore, warm mats will not work at the right time. And the money will be spent. It is preferable to spend money from heated floors on insulation and quality labor.
I consider heated floors a luxury this moment. In the current economic situation.
The floor is not the most responsible place
The floor is not the most important place for insulation. Even if you have poorly insulated the space under the plywood. That in itself it is a good heat insulator. For example, we supply 18 mm sheets, other companies supply 10 mm, so you can save money on the customer. We don't do that.
Plywood can protect you from many insulation mistakes. If you cover the timber with a floorboard, you get a different picture. Even tongue and groove batten When drying out, it allows cold air to pass from under the floor to the top.
Therefore, always choose plywood with finishing linoleum or laminate. It may be more expensive, but it looks better and is safer.
After the installers laid down the plywood. Gaps form between the sheets at the joints near the walls. Size from a few millimeters to several centimeters.
Both small and large gaps are equally dangerous. It is better to coat small gaps around the entire perimeter with sealant and foam larger ones. This way you seal the underground space. Create another safety loop.
Next you need to lay linoleum or a backing for the laminate. The substrate itself is an insulator. Thin but still. The laminate layer also retains heat. Because the main component is wood sawdust.
Afterword
Summarizing what has been said, we can conclude that it is not worth saving on floor insulation. Or rather, it’s not worth saving on installers. If you choose the bad guys on the loggia, then nothing will save you. Not good foam, neither several layers of insulation, nor stone wool.
Why do you need a balcony? Some people think that this is perfect place for storing car tires. Others prefer to clutter it unnecessary items. Still others, on the contrary, value this area of the house and try to use it effectively - they arrange a mini-garden with flowers, a separate room, a sports corner, and so on. Obviously, for a balcony to bring real benefits at any time of the year, it must be insulated.
Few people understand that just covering the walls of the loggia is not enough. It is not enough to lay insulating material on the sides, because about a quarter of the heat escapes through bottom part premises. The question arises - how to insulate the floor on a balcony quickly, profitably and reliably? It is not necessary to resort to the help of professional finishers, because you can sheathe the room with your own hands. For this purpose, it is important to purchase suitable material.
Choosing insulation for the floor of a balcony or loggia
If apartment residents are thinking about thermal insulation for the first time, there are problems with choosing suitable material will not arise, because the range of goods on the market is huge. Below are some of the most popular insulation materials for balcony floors and their features.
- Penofol.
The material is classified as new; They began to produce it not so long ago. Consists of aluminum foil and polyethylene foam. In addition to thermal insulation properties, the consumer will find good hydro- and sound insulation.
Penofol - thin material, produced in rolls (standard thickness from 3 to 10 mm). The good thing is that it saves insulated space, pieces of material are easily connected with aluminum tape, and in general the installation process does not take much time. There is only one drawback - the insulation is used in conjunction with penoplex (foamed polystyrene), so additional costs are inevitable. Suitable for a loggia rather than a balcony.
- Styrofoam.
One of the most popular insulation materials, regardless of the type of surface or room. It is supplied in sheets (from 2 to 10 cm thick), is inexpensive, and guarantees complete thermal insulation due to its density and additional foaming of the gaps between each other and the joists using sealant.
- Penoplex.
The material has low degree vapor permeability, immune to influence chemical substances, lightweight, easy to install. Thin sheets from 2 to 5 cm are also good space savers. Disadvantage - high cost; penoplex is more expensive than other insulation materials.
- Expanded clay.
Not best material for insulating the balcony floor, nevertheless sometimes found. Expanded clay is hygroscopic (it removes moisture well), and it is easy to work with. There are more disadvantages - it is possible to raise the floor level, an additional layer of waterproofing is required, high coefficient thermal conductivity, and for good insulation you will need a thick layer of material.
- Mineral wool.
The most popular option. Low coefficient of thermal conductivity (on par with polystyrene foam), lightness, moisture resistance, affordable cost - this is about mineral wool. There is only one minus - the material pricks during operation, so you need to protect your body (with overalls, gloves and goggles).
Sold in rolls or slabs with a thickness of 3 cm or more. The structure of mineral wool allows the material to fill any gap; this is required if there is inaccuracy in the calculations and installation of joists.
If the consumer makes a conscious choice of material that would last for decades, it is worth leaning towards one of two options - foam plastic or mineral wool. By purchasing required quantity insulation for the floor, he can begin preparing the original surface.
Preliminary work
The process of preparing a balcony for thermal insulation of its lower part involves the following steps:
- removal of old covering (tiles, boards are dismantled before concrete slab grounds);
- the coating is cleaned of debris, dirt, dust;
- existing cracks or chips are covered up cement mortars so that they do not reduce the effectiveness of the insulation;
- the joints between the floor and the walls are also leveled;
- after the cement has dried, waterproofing is spread on the floor (a common option is roofing felt; penofol, which combines hydro- and heat-insulating properties, is also acceptable); it is desirable that it extends 10-15 cm onto the walls;
- It is better to seal the waterproofing joints with tape, and in the case of penofol, cover them with sealant or polyurethane foam;
- laying lags ( wooden beams with a cross section of 40×40 mm or a little more, treated with an antiseptic, laid on the floor parallel to the long side of the balcony at a distance equal to the width of the insulation).
A layer of roofing felt is not necessary, but it is better not to neglect it, especially when it comes to the balcony of the first floor of an apartment building.
The cross-section of the logs should also be selected depending on the thickness of the insulation. Small wedges are used to level the bars. To give the structure stability, the exposed logs are fastened with self-tapping screws, the outer ones are fixed to the balcony with dowels.
Insulation laying technology
After completing the rough and preparatory work begin installation of the selected material. The following steps are performed:
- foam plastic (or mineral wool) is laid between the lags; in the first case, a small gap between the insulation and the block (1-2 mm) is acceptable, in the second case the wool should be slightly compressed in order to fit into the prepared cavity;
- the cracks are foamed with mounting foam or sealant;
- a layer of vapor barrier (special film, membrane or polyethylene foam) is laid on top of the resulting surface;
- staples ( construction stapler) it is attached to the joists, the joints are taped;
- it is advisable to lay another layer of waterproofing so that the insulation is protected from below and from above;
- a counter-lattice made of thinner beams is mounted on top of the logs in order to ensure normal ventilation under the floor.
Finishing work
When the insulation and additional layers are fixed, the subfloor is laid on the sheathing. For this purpose, fiberboard is used, simple boards like inches, plywood, special drywall. There is no need to fix them close to the wall; it is better to leave a gap of 3-5 mm in case of possible expansion rough material because of various factors. You can immediately lay flat boards that will serve as the finished floor. Moreover, this will save a little but significant space.
When the floor is insulated, there are immediately more options for using the balcony. A competent choice of material and compliance with thermal insulation technology is the key to long service life of the premises for the benefit of the residents of the house.