Wooden house with a balcony: features of the work. Floor device. Creation of a canopy. Installation of a fence. Waterproofing the balcony and loggia: step-by-step execution of work What will the waterproofing device give

You can expand the usable space of any apartment by using a loggia or balcony. Initially, such designs were not intended for year-round use, therefore temperature regime in them seriously depends on external weather conditions. That is why for the full use of this space it is necessary to take care of the insulation of the loggia or balcony.

The basic thermal insulation schemes for both design options differ little. The main differences lie in the need to install a frame wall near balconies that do not have a capital external fence, and to insulate the parapet near loggias, bounded on all sides by concrete structures.

Basic thermal insulation schemes

Regardless of the type of construction, it can be protected from heat loss in two ways:

from inside the room;
from the outside of the house.

The first option involves a waterproofing device, laying a layer of insulation and interior decoration the entire space of the balcony or loggia. In this case, you can do the whole range of work yourself.

Insulation from the outside is performed most often in the presence of a concrete parapet. Starting from the second floor of the house, such work can be performed only with a special permit in the field of industrial mountaineering. External thermal insulation can only be carried out by experienced specialists in compliance with all safety regulations.

When carrying out work from the inside of the premises, all elements of the balcony or loggia are protected from heat loss, special attention is paid to the external enclosing structures and walls adjacent to the street or technical premises.

To protect the premises of the loggia from heat loss, it is necessary to perform the following blocks of work:

if necessary, replace the old glazing with new double-glazed windows or wooden structures;
to close up all defects and gaps in the external enclosing structures;
waterproof the walls, parapet, floor and ceiling, as well as the frame outer wall for the balcony;
lay insulation on all walls, floor and ceiling surfaces;
fix an additional layer of vapor barrier;
to execute finishing premises.

All types of work do not require special vocational training, therefore, anyone can insulate their balcony or loggia on their own.

To insulate the room from the outside of the house, the structure of ventilated facades is most often mounted. This approach allows not only to keep warm, but also to ensure a constant drainage of condensate from the body of the insulation. In the technology of ventilated facades, mineral or stone wool, as well as film waterproofing. This technology is perfect for balconies without external enclosures.

Another popular option for external insulation is the device of a layer of rigid polystyrene foam plates or spraying of polyurethane foam, followed by plastering the surface. This method is more preferable for protecting loggias with a concrete or brick parapet.

When the object is located at a height of more than three meters, thermal insulation must be performed by specialists who have special permits for high-altitude work.

Insulation options

When finishing a loggia or balcony, the most popular options are rigid insulation, for example, extruded polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam. These materials are easy to attach to a concrete or brick base, they have low thermal conductivity at the level of 0.035 W / mK and permeability. As a result, effective protection against heat loss can be achieved with a thickness of the insulating layer of 50 mm, which reduces the cost of insulating a balcony or loggia.

When choosing polyurethane foam, it is best to apply it by spraying. The device of the protective layer is carried out after the assembly of all frames under exterior decoration and laying waterproofing. Spraying provides a monolithic insulation structure, which reduces the number of cold bridges. In addition, processing can be performed on all surfaces of the room at once, which reduces the finishing time.

To protect the ceiling and floor, semi-rigid mineral wool... It must be remembered that such heaters are extremely sensitive to wetting. When moistened, cotton wool almost completely loses its insulating properties. Therefore, for such heaters, it is important to strictly observe the rules for installing waterproofing and vapor barrier layers.

Required materials and tools

Actually self-insulation balcony or loggia does not require special professional equipment. To carry out all the work you will need:

a drill or screwdriver with an impact bit;
grinder for working with a metal profile;
gun for sealants and polyurethane foams;
tape measure, marker pencil, construction knife.

From Supplies will be required:

wooden blocks or metal guides for the frame;
various types of self-tapping screws;
disc dowels for fastening rigid insulation;
waterproofing film and vapor-permeable membrane;
the selected insulation in the required amount;
polyurethane or silicone sealant and polyurethane foam;
any finishing material to sheathe the room.

In the work, standard sets of screwdrivers, pliers and other small tools that any owner definitely have can come in handy.

In addition, when constructing a frame, you will need a liquid or laser level to align the guides.

The main steps in the construction of thermal insulation from the inside

Walls, floors and ceilings are insulated after the installation of new glazing. If the balcony or loggia is already closed with metal-plastic or other modern double-glazed windows, then the integrity of the layer of polyurethane foam and sealants applied during installation is checked again.

Surface preparation

The parapet of the loggia is carefully examined for cracks and defects. To achieve minimal heat loss, as well as protect the structure from waterlogging, it is necessary to carefully seal all cracks with polyurethane sealant or polyurethane foam.

Additionally, all seams between the parapet, walls and floor are processed. The surface of the walls bordering the street is also examined. It is necessary to protect all structures as much as possible from moisture penetration and heat loss through cracks and defects.

After eliminating the identified cracks and defects, it is necessary to protect the surfaces of the room from external moisture. For this, the balcony or loggia from the inside is completely covered waterproofing films... Membranes are fastened with an overlap with the entry of adjacent sheets by 5 - 10 cm and gluing all seams with protective tape.

When using polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam, the waterproofing layer does not need to be installed. Low permeability of materials will not allow moisture to penetrate into the body of the insulation.

After completing the preparation, the walls, ceiling and floor of the loggia or balcony are closed thermal insulation materials... Rigid slabs are attached to concrete or brickwork by means of dish-shaped polymer dowels. The distance between the individual fixings should not exceed 40 cm. Most often, five dowels are consumed for one standard plate.

The joints between the sheets are additionally insulated with polyurethane foam without toluene. Everything winter options such materials may contain toluene, but its use is unacceptable due to the negative effect on polystyrene.

After laying the insulation, all structures are closed with a vapor barrier. For these purposes, it is best to use special polymer membranes or foamed polyethylene. The presence of a thin layer of foil on the inner surface of the material will help create a thermos effect and additionally protect the room from heat loss.

The vapor barrier can be attached with polyurethane glue. All joints are also overlapped 5-10 cm and glued with waterproofing tape.

Frame installation and sheathing

After the main protective layers are assembled, the frame is being assembled from wooden bars 40x20 mm or 50x25 mm for fastening finishing material... Sometimes, instead of wood, it is used metallic profile 60x27 mm.

The fastening of the lathing guides is carried out only after the elements are level. For fixing, self-tapping screws are used, the length of which allows you to attach a beam or profile directly to a concrete or brick base. The location of the frame is assigned based on the selected material.

So, for drywall, it is better to set vertical guides, and plastic panels- horizontal. The distance between the guides should not exceed 40 cm. After installing the frame, the walls, ceiling and floor are sheathed with the selected finishing material.

Insulation of a balcony or loggia will expand the useful space of the apartment and get an excellent study or room for relaxation.

In the last decade, the loggia glazing service has become widespread. Every day there are more and more people who want to give it a more attractive look. There is another reason as well. Sometimes balconies flow like this from above that it is simply necessary to do a thorough sealing.

At the same time, it is important to understand: in order for this room to turn into a cozy continuation of the apartment, glazing alone is clearly not enough. It is equally important to protect it from moisture penetrating from the street. For this purpose, styling is used special materials... Quite often people are hired to carry out such work experienced craftsmen, however, the advice of professionals will help even a beginner to cope with the work with their own hands.

This concept includes a set of works aimed at protecting a building structure from moisture. Water can penetrate or loggia during rain, snow, evaporation from the basement (on the first floors), from the roof or upper floor.

Waterproofing the balcony from the outside and from the inside allows you to create a durable protective layer of special materials that prevents moisture from getting inside. Thanks to this, it is possible to solve several problems at once.

Protection against destruction. Getting into microcracks in concrete or other building material, moisture begins to destroy it. As a result, repairs will be required very soon.
Blocking the development of mold and mildew. High humidity indoors sooner or later leads to the appearance of mold and mildew on the walls, ceiling and floor. This phenomenon can often be seen in a bath or sanitary facility, where it is constantly present. high humidity air. This factor negatively affects the health of apartment residents, contributes to the appearance bad smell... Waterproofing the loggia from the inside will completely solve this issue.
Corrosion protection. Metal mounts and the elements in contact with water are susceptible to corrosion. The appearance of rust indicates the beginning of the destruction of the metal.

All surfaces of the loggia need waterproofing: walls, floor and ceiling.

Types of materials

The building goods market today offers dozens of names of all kinds of materials. Construction foreman he will easily choose a suitable product from this assortment, but a beginner in this business will have a hard time. It is better not to rely on the advice of consultants in the store, but to choose the desired building material according to building codes and requirements.

In this case, waterproofing the balcony from the inside will give a good result. All coatings are divided into just a few groups.

Coating (also often referred to as cast polymer coatings). This option is one of the most reliable and easy to do-it-yourself installation. Typical representatives of this class are asphalt pavements and mastics. The only drawback of this technology is its high cost.
Impregnation... These materials penetrate deeply into construction material and reliably protect it. There are special penetrating compounds for concrete, wood and other materials.
Rolled. Installation of such protection against moisture will not allow residents to regret their choice. These polymer-bitumen coatings guarantee high reliability and long service life, but installation requires a lot of labor and experience.
Coloring compositions. The main purpose of such materials is to protect metal elements from moisture. Among the advantages are the relative cheapness, ease of applying insulation.
Plastering. This method is considered one of the most famous and simplest. However, for long years application, it has proven to be highly effective.
Sheet protection. This class is represented by metal and plastic sheets. It is rational to use them only in cases where other options cannot be applied for some reason.
Injection protection. This type is used for spot isolation of cracks, seams. Such sealing of the balcony becomes possible with the use of binders.

Preparatory work

Before proceeding with repair work do it yourself, the surface must be carefully prepared. The quality of performance and the service life of the coating will depend on this.

In the presence of a floor decorative finishing dismantle it. All work must be carried out carefully to avoid damage to the concrete slab.
The slab itself is examined and all potholes, damage and cracks are found.
All areas with loose, exfoliated concrete are removed using a perforator.
Thoroughly clean the base from dirt and dust. This can be done quickly and conveniently with a brush with long, hard fibers.
If there are small cracks on the slab, they are slightly expanded with a perforator. This will allow the solution to penetrate deeper and harden well. Large cracks are leveled to a U-shaped groove.
If reinforcement is exposed during the destruction of the balcony slab, signs of corrosion are carefully removed from it. This is best done with a special chemical composition.
The metal cleaned from rust is covered with an anti-corrosion compound.
Before waterproofing the balcony slab, it is restored. To do this, you can use ordinary cement or special compounds.
Inspect the balcony walls and roof, mark everything problem areas, in which the balcony leaks.

Is it possible to do without glazing

Many people wonder if waterproofing is needed. open balcony? Experts agree on what is needed. Despite the fact that precipitation will continue to fall here, the balcony slab remains sufficiently protected from water penetration. This significantly prolongs its service life and slows down its destruction.

Those who decide to completely block the ingress of moisture will still have to think about installing double-glazed windows. This is especially important if it comes about waterproofing a balcony above a bay window or other living space.

First of all, double-glazed windows and an external cornice are installed. All gaps and crevices are eliminated. Usually the balcony after glazing is sealed by the masters themselves. However, if after that there are gaps, you can deal with them yourself. You just need to use polyurethane foam or sealant designed for use in conditions of temperature extremes.

Floor arrangement

First of all, it is worth making sure that moisture is removed correctly. If the slope is made from the wall, then the waterproofing of the floor on the balcony can continue. If the slope is made to the wall, then all the water will flow to the house. This needs to be corrected with your own hands using a screed. To do this, prepare a mixture of cement and sand (ratio 1: 3), apply it to the cleaned base of the balcony slab. The slope angle for moisture removal should be 1-2 degrees to the outside.

After the screed dries and hardens, you can proceed to further actions:

Clean the base from dirt, dust, moisten thoroughly.
Cover the board with a layer of penetrating material. It is best to do the strokes always in the same direction. This will help prevent delamination.
After drying, the surface is covered with a second layer. This time the strokes are made perpendicular to the first layer. This will give maximum protection against water.
For 3 days, this layer is periodically moistened, not allowing it to dry.
The next layer is a roll foil insulator. The sheets are overlapped by a few cm. The joints of the sheets are glued together with mastic.
Wooden beams are installed on the floor, and the gaps between them are filled with expanded polystyrene.
All formed seams and joints are removed with polyurethane foam.
A rough floor is laid on the beams. For this, they often use OSB boards, securing them with self-tapping screws.
Finish the floor.

If you need to protect the balcony above the bay window, porch or alkez from moisture, then the insulation should be carried out as carefully as possible, since the appearance of a leak will damage the internal repair of the room located below.

Working with walls and partitions

For walls and partitions when waterproofing a balcony, it is most convenient to use roll materials, for example, foil rolled polystyrene foam. It is attached to a vertical surface using building mixture... When buying this mixture, you need to pay attention to its frost-resistant characteristics.

After the layer has solidified, the surface is abundantly moistened with water and covered with a coating composition in 2 layers. Balcony waterproofing wooden house carried out with the help of special transparent varnishes that do not violate appearance natural wood.

Correct ceiling finish

To carry out the ceiling work, you can call a master or cope with this task with your own hands.

If a balcony flows from the top, the question arises: "what to do?" Let's start with the fact that on preparatory stage detects all roof leaks through which moisture penetrates. Usually there are a lot of them and it is not difficult to find them - streaks form around the cracks, wet to the touch. During the repair, all the defects of the ceiling on the balcony are eliminated:

for better adhesion, the ceiling is abundantly wetted with water;
a layer of mastic is applied to the ceiling surface with a brush;
the first layer is left to dry partially. When the mastic grasps a little, apply a second layer on top;
in addition to the ceiling itself, sources of leakage are the joints of the ceiling and walls. To minimize the risk, the joint and walls (15-20 cm from the ceiling) are also covered with an impregnating mastic;
from the moment of applying the mastic for 3 days, the painted surface must be moistened from the sprayer and covered with a film, protecting it from drying out;
balcony roof waterproofing can be carried out using expanded polystyrene plates. They are attached using special fittings or construction glue. Board joints are filled with toluene-free polyurethane foam. Such waterproofing of the balcony ceiling from the inside gives the maximum protection against moisture and cold weather.

Correctly selected materials and high-quality work carried out guarantee the absence of moisture, a long finishing period and the preservation of loggias from destruction.

All photos from the article

Increasingly on suburban areas can see wooden houses with a bay window and a balcony, as they combine high aesthetic characteristics and functionality itself. Such designs allow you to increase useful area dwellings. At the same time, they can act as decorative elements facade.

Pros and cons of buildings with balconies

Objects of this type deserve special attention due to the presence of a structure protruding from the plane of the facade. Most often, such structures are fenced areas used as terraces, but if desired, they can be converted into premises for other purposes.

Main advantages

High decorative qualities make it possible to build attractive buildings... The balcony above the veranda in a wooden house looks especially elegant.
This extension allows you to get additional space... It can accommodate both a regular recreation area and a children's playroom, an office or a greenhouse.
When getting rid of the walls, such a design allows you to expand living room ... However, this option is not feasible in all cases. It all depends on the constructive solution.

Some disadvantages

Buildings with a balcony have a rather complex construction technology, therefore, it is very difficult to carry out construction with your own hands in most cases.
The final price of real estate objects with a separate site of this type increases slightly. This is due to the acquisition additional materials for construction.
During the construction process, high requirements are imposed on safety, since the structure will protrude out of the walls. If the basic rules are not followed, there is a risk of collapse.

Note! If an individual developer is more interested in the decorative qualities of a building, then you can create a false balcony in a wooden house, which will serve as a rather attractive decoration.

Features of the work

Before making a balcony in a wooden house with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances. They will help to create an aesthetically pleasing and at the same time safe structure of an open or closed type... Most often, for residential buildings, the first option is used with the ability to be outdoors.

A crate made of edged boards is attached to the control battens. The step between the main elements will depend on the type roofing... If profiled sheets are used, then the distance should be no more than 30 cm.

Such a canopy can be supported by supporting posts or struts. The choice of a specific option is made taking into account the dimensions of the structure.

Installation of the fence

The supporting posts can be supporting posts to support the roof or separate pedestals made of beams with an increased cross-section. In the latter case, the installation of the elements is carried out by means of metal studs.

Balusters are also installed using metal rods, but with a reduced cross-section. A special rail is attached to them, on which a convenient handrail is put on.

Attention! Pick up wooden fences for balcony in Vacation home or a residential building should take into account the overall design of the building, otherwise they may not look very appropriate.

In conclusion

Unlike the device of a conventional terrace, the construction of this structure is carried out without creating a foundation, since it is suspended. In this regard, special attention must be paid to the supporting part in order to achieve a high level of safety. As for the rest of the points, the structures are very similar.

Detailed information on wooden balconies is presented in the video in this article.

A balcony in a wooden house needs waterproofing to a greater extent than any of its counterparts in a stone building. It's no secret that the tree is extremely susceptible to negative impact atmospheric precipitation, with high dampness, mold quickly starts in it, contributing to its accelerated destruction.

Conditionally, the waterproofing of a wooden balcony can be divided into several steps. Here, in many respects, it all depends on what type it belongs to - open or closed. Many today turn their balcony into a kind of pantry, others into a study, and still others into a recreation area. In all these cases, reliable insulation and waterproofing that can significantly increase comfort are indispensable.

Waterproofing an open balcony in a wooden house

When waterproofing an open balcony in a wooden house, it is important to create a slight slope of the coating away from the house, this will avoid the accumulation of water on its surface, absorbing which wooden floors will grow damp and decay. On average, the difference in the height of the edges of the covering near the house, and from the edge of the balcony should not exceed 4 cm, this will avoid a violation of the hydraulic insulation.

For any type of balcony, waterproofing the floor is of prime importance. There are a huge number of materials designed for such an operation, among which there are - roll, liquid, film and even membrane.

Much in waterproofing depends on the design of the balcony and on whether it already exists finished form or it is only at the stage of preparation for construction. In the latter case, everything is much simpler and you can build a waterproofing system at the same time as the balcony itself. For example, in Switzerland, a balcony covering is lined on a special sheet of metal, between the boards of which small gaps of a few millimeters are left to ensure ventilation of the metal layer.

In the event that the balcony has already been built, the simplest, not expensive and at the same time reliable option is to carry out work to strengthen it and pour over the base of a small layer concrete screed mixed with liquid rubber. Those for whom for any reason this way not suitable, they can use special waterproofing boards, which are mounted directly under the floor covering.

Excellent waterproofing of the balcony floor in a wooden house can also be obtained thanks to liquid rubber, which is applied to the tree with a special spray. The main thing before this is to tightly seal all the gaps between the boards, ordinary mastic is perfect for this. Unfortunately, this method has one serious drawback for its implementation, special expensive equipment is needed, which means that using this method to waterproof a balcony in a wooden house with your own hands, most likely it will not work and you will have to call a master.

Waterproofing a closed balcony in a wooden house

Waterproofing closed balcony in a wooden house is not much different from an open balcony, but this is if we are talking only about the flooring. It should not be forgotten that in closed balconies and loggias, in addition to the floor, there is also a ceiling and walls, which also need to be given time during the waterproofing process.

Note! The best way waterproofing the ceiling is to impregnate it properly with special polyurethane mastics. It should be said right away that they are not cheap, but they pay off with interest, since the use of cheaper funds will require at least their annual renewal, and polyurethane-based mastic will not require replacement for 5 years.

If there is access to the balcony ceiling from the outside, then it is quite possible to carry out waterproofing using a method similar to waterproofing flooring or even create a reliable roof covering.

Waterproofing the walls of a closed balcony in a wooden house is done in one of the following ways:

Painting - the most popular method, which is the process of applying special protective varnishes containing rubber additives. Unfortunately, this option is short-lived and requires regular renewal of the protective layer, due to which, at first glance, economical, it turns out to be one of the most expensive;
Gluing - these protective materials are both self-adhesive and glued to the surface under the influence of high temperatures. The most popular pasting material is roofing material and its analogues. This method rather laborious and requires rather frequent renewal of the protective layer, therefore, in Lately is becoming less and less popular.
Water repellents are ready-made mixtures sold in most hardware stores. They have water-repellent properties, due to this they provide protection of the loggia from moisture at a sufficiently high level. Unfortunately, they break down rather quickly when exposed to ultraviolet radiation therefore it is recommended to use them only for internal waterproofing;
Powder - these means include the usual cement mix with hydrophobic additives such as liquid rubber, tile adhesives and special types of plasters. Of the disadvantages of powder waterproofers, only a relatively low resistance to mechanical damage can be called.

These are all the basic methods of how to waterproof a balcony in a wooden house. As can be seen from the above, it is quite within the power of any ordinary homeowner, in most cases it does not require special skills and special training. However, only by contacting professionals with a good reputation can you get truly reliable and high-quality insulation of your balcony.

When arranging balconies and level terraces, developers often make mistakes in the structure of the base. As a result, subsequently there are leaks and freezing of the balcony slab, which ultimately leads to its destruction.

The base of any terrace or balcony should slope away from the house to allow natural drainage of rainfall. If this is not done, then the water will stagnate, saturate the underlying layers of the base, and when negative temperatures expand and tear concrete.

The required slope of 1.5-2% can already have the balcony slab itself or the floor slab of the level terrace. Or, on a horizontally mounted slab, a slope-forming layer is made in the form of a screed.

Specified minimum slope so small that the technological layers located above will not spontaneously slide. The slope-forming layer in its thinnest place cannot be thinner than 3.5-4 cm. Otherwise, it may begin to crumble. Thus, with a 3-meter wide terrace, the thickness of the slope-forming layer at the edge of the wall with a 2% slope is 10 cm. The mass of this layer can be significant, therefore, it should be taken into account in design calculations.

The presence of a bias is only required condition, and the integrity of the structure cannot be ensured by him alone. An important point is the waterproofing of the base. The modern market offers whole line materials with which you can effectively waterproof a balcony slab or a level terrace slab. It can be both all kinds of waterproofing mastics and roll materials (films and membranes). In order to avoid mistakes in creating a floor “pie” and not to waste money, you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations exactly and withstand technological breaks.

Level terrace base structure

A level terrace means a wide balcony located above a room or on a foundation resting on pillars. If the room under such a terrace is operated, then its overlap (it is also the base of the terrace) must be insulated. In this case, you can combine the insulation layer with the slope-forming layer if you use special polystyrene foam wedges. If a slope-forming screed is made or the floor slabs themselves already have a minimum slope, then the insulation is performed with plates of ordinary or extruded polystyrene foam or foam glass. The last two heaters in this case are more preferable, since they practically do not have water absorption, but they are, respectively, more expensive. Expanded polystyrene for warming the floor of the level terrace has the PSB-S-35 brand and higher.

As an example, consider a standard version of a floor pie of an open-level terrace located above an exploited room.

The lowest layer is the floor slab (1). It can be installed with or without an outward slope. The advantage of the first option is the absence of the need to perform a slope-forming layer (2), which will additionally load the floor if it is cement screed.

On top of the slab or a sloping screed made on it, a layer of vapor barrier (3) made of a construction film or roofing material is laid, which will protect the insulation from moisture vapor, which diffuses outward from the dwelling. This vapor barrier must be brought to the wall up to the threshold of the doors.

Insulation (4) is laid in a total layer of 12-20 cm with an offset of the seams.

From above, the insulation is protected from moisture from above by a layer of waterproofing (5). It can be a polyethylene or polypropylene construction film with a thickness of 0.2 mm. It also performs a separating function, allowing the overlying clamping tie (6) and the insulation layer to work independently of each other.

The pressure layer (6) is a reinforced cement screed with a thickness of 4-5 cm. Reinforcement is performed in the form of a mesh with 10 × 10 cm cells made of 3 mm steel rods. Expansion joints must be provided in the pressure layer: wall and forced. The latter divide the screed into plots of about 4 m². The width of the forced seams is 10-12 mm, and the width of the wall seams is at least 15 mm. Forced expansion joints in a reinforced screed are performed using preliminary filling metal corners which are taken out after cement mortar will grab. When the screed is ripe (after at least 14 days), the seams are filled with an elastic cord (10), the diameter of which is slightly larger than the seam width. This cord must be inserted into the seam so that it does not reach the bottom of the groove, otherwise the stresses arising during the shrinkage process will be transmitted to the lower layers, and this is undesirable. The upper part of the seam, remaining above the cord, is filled with an elastic mass, forming a concave meniscus on the surface.

On top of the pressure layer, a continuous waterproofing (7) is made, which is a waterproof seamless membrane made of polyurethane or mineral mass with a thickness of at least 2 mm.

The top coat (14) is laid over the waterproofing layer. It can be frost resistant ceramic tile or terrace board... When laying a tile covering, it is imperative to provide for expansion (expansion) joints, which are longitudinal slots about 10 mm wide, filled with a special elastic cord made of polyurethane or polyethylene. Seams can also be filled with acidic exterior silicone to form a concave meniscus in the seam profile.

The weak link is waterproofing

Before applying liquid waterproofing concrete base should be primed to reduce its hygroscopicity. Most often, mineral primers are used, which penetrate into the base to a depth of 2 mm. The best result will be with double processing.

The most vulnerable areas of the base require more thorough waterproofing. These are, first of all, the corners (11), the abutment to the wall and expansion joints... Place sealing strips (9) in the above places. Due to their elasticity and stability in a wide temperature range (+ 90 ... - 40C °), they are resistant to cracking.

It is recommended to waterproof the terrace with polyurethane mastics or mineral mixtures (one- or two-component), since they have sufficient elasticity. Apply the mastic in two layers with an interval of 4-8 hours. Coating waterproofing should cover the sealing strips at a width of at least 2 cm. Waterproofing work should be carried out at a temperature not lower than -5 ° C and not higher than 25 ° C, and preferably in cloudy weather, since in the sun the material can be very hot and leak. Before applying it, be sure to check the manufacturer's recommendations for use. Some mastics are applied only to a dry substrate, but there are also those that are applied to a wet one. After application, protect the surface from direct sun rays at least 12 hours.

Finishing covering for a terrace or balcony

Frost-resistant ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware are excellent options for flooring a level terrace or balcony. They reliably protect the waterproofing coating from mechanical damage and are easy to clean. The tiles can be laid on the flexible adhesive mortar (8) as early as 24 hours after the last waterproofing layer has been applied. The tile joints are filled with a frost-resistant elastic joint (13).

The temperature (expansion) joints of the pressure plate are also maintained in the finishing coating. Their width, as a rule, is reduced, but they remain in line with the axis of the main seam. No adhesive solution, expansion joints between tiles must not be filled with a joint. It needs to be done silicone sealant for outdoor work. Do the same with the seams at the junction with the wall (12).

On the open terraces and balconies, the flooring will certainly heat up in the sun, and in order to reduce the maximum heating temperature, light-colored tiles should be used. Dark tiles are more likely to come off as a result of temperature movements.

Liquid waterproofing compounds differ in the degree of elasticity, and in order to ensure tightness, experts recommend covering expansion joints with sealing tapes. There are also materials on the market that make it possible to eliminate expansion joints, due to their high inherent elasticity. This, in turn, makes it possible to use the same material - waterproof polyurethane adhesive - both as waterproofing and as an adhesive layer for the floor covering.