The safer to insulate and sheathe the loggia inside. Do-it-yourself balcony insulation. Which heat insulator is better to use

Today's balcony in many apartments turns into a full-fledged room, a functional space. This is especially true for small apartments, whose residents appreciate every centimeter. If the balcony is insulated, it becomes an office, pantry, resting place, mini greenhouse, dining room or extra bed. There are many options for its use. The main thing is to do quality work on its insulation. Only in this case it will be warm and cozy on the balcony.

Features and Benefits

In the warm season, the whole family can relax on the balcony, but when autumn comes, this room becomes useless. If you warm it up, the situation will change. The advantage is that all the planned work is easy to do on your own. An additionally warm room is a space in which it is easy to create a small work area or a relaxation area. In addition, the presence of a warm balcony will automatically make the apartment cozier and warmer. You can attach a living room or a kitchen to it, depending on its location. This will create extra space.

Before you engage in insulation or glazing, you need to get expert advice. He will definitely tell you what load a warm balcony can withstand, whether it is worth strengthening it. If the base is a powerful concrete slab, the question of reinforcement does not arise. But the metal parapet must be reinforced with foam blocks or light bricks made of ceramic material. The same should be done in the case of unstable fastening of the reinforced concrete base.

For insulation, double-glazed windows in wooden frames can be used. They are environmentally friendly, allow the windows to "breathe", but are expensive. Aluminum windows insulated with polyamide inserts increase the thermal insulation of the room. The most optimal would be the equipment of PVC windows with double-glazed windows, which will reliably retain heat.

Such windows are cheaper than wooden ones, but at the same time their thermal insulation is not inferior to aluminum ones.

What materials are better to choose

For finishing balconies or loggias today there are many varieties of finishing materials, with the help of which they give even the smallest room an original and attractive look. The main thing is to make the right choice of material for decoration. For insulation, experts recommend using cork, plastic panels, lining with a wooden or plastic base, drywall, plaster, MDF panels, decorative stone, aluminum profile, foam plastic, expanded polystyrene, penofol.

Mineral wool, foam plastic trim is an excellent solution for self-insulating a room.

In the case of an uninsulated balcony, it is better to give preference to artificial stone, plastic frost-resistant lining, cork panels or tiles. The most commonly used finishing materials are:

Drywall

This material is distinguished by the fact that it is based on no toxic substances, it is easy to process and is combined with other finishing materials in design. Drywall can be plastered, painted, wallpapered, paneled and clapboarded. With the help of such a versatile material, it is enough to simply turn the balcony into a full-fledged living room.

PVC panels

A practical solution, but it is better not to use this material if the constant temperature on the balcony is below five degrees. This problem can be solved with the help of frost-resistant panels developed using new technologies. This material is not afraid of moisture, but is able to quickly lose color from direct sunlight. This point should be taken into account if the room is located on the south side. Advantages: low cost, quick and easy installation with glue.

Cork panels

They create a cosiness that cannot be organized using other finishing materials. Cork panels are pressed cork oak bark. Cork panels are easy to install and are suitable for any type of balcony, regardless of the temperature level in the room. The cork panel does not absorb foreign odors, including the smell of tobacco. Lack of material - high price. For insulation, they also use inexpensive foam plastic, and mineral wool is perfect.

How to properly insulate a balcony with your own hands: step by step instructions

A balcony in a city apartment is a special space. This piece of the house, taken out under the open sky, can become an office, a greenhouse or a recreation area, one has only to glaze and isolate it.

Warming the balcony with your own hands will save a lot of money. Sheathing in a panel house, in "Khrushchev" is done taking into account the characteristics of the apartment and building.

Step 1. To begin with, the old frames are dismantled, the surface is prepared and things are taken out. Insulation from the inside is an important step in the whole process.

Step 2. At the second stage it is necessary to make a balcony glazing. The best option would be plastic PVC windows. Many people prefer to keep the old wood frames. However, remember that even if the wooden structures are in good condition, they will not be able to organize the same heat savings. There are gaps in the tree, so it is pointless to deal with insulation in this situation.

Step 3. After the plastic windows are installed, you can begin to insulate the floor. Be prepared for the floor to be higher. Consider this if the ceiling in the room is low.

Step 4. Wall cladding is carried out after the installation of windows and floor insulation. The walls on the balcony are considered side walls, except for the main one. At the final stage of insulation, finishing work is carried out. The choice of materials depends on the budget. In the process of finishing, window slopes facing the balcony are installed.

Necessary tools and materials

In order to insulate a balcony or loggia, you will need the following tools: a hacksaw or a clerical knife; roulette; level; pencil, marker or any other writing instrument; glue application tool - brush, spatula and so on; other tools. Of the materials you need glue and the insulation itself. In addition, you will need a vapor barrier film and a windproof membrane.

You will also need a frame device. In this case, you will need wooden beams, as well as nails to secure them. You may also need special fasteners - nails with very wide hats. They are used when polystyrene is not fixed with glue.

Warming inside

High-quality thermal insulation combined with double-glazed windows turns the balcony into a living space. It is necessary to insulate not only the walls, but also the floor with the ceiling. Insulation materials must be durable, lightweight, safe for humans. Due to atmospheric precipitation and condensate, the walls of the balcony can become damp and moldy, which means that hydro and vapor barriers are needed.

Expanded polystyrenes meet these requirements as much as possible: traditional foam plastic and Penoplex thermal insulation boards. The first is very light, strong in compression, waterproof. Penoplex is an insulation made of extruded polystyrene foam. Its strength and durability exceeds conventional foam, and its shape simplifies installation in the clutch and provides perfect insulation. Sheathing the balcony with slabs can be done both inside and outside.

Insulation of a closed balcony begins with surface preparation. It is necessary to carefully cover the cracks and joints between the floor, walls and parapet with mounting foam without toluene in the composition. Metal structures must be cleaned of rust, coated with oil paint and treated with a building antiseptic.

Before laying the insulation put windows and doors. Window sills and slopes are mounted at the last stage of work. Balcony glazing depends on the parapet. If this is just a metal crate, it needs to be built up with ceramic (lightweight) bricks or foam blocks. The thickness should not exceed ten centimeters. To protect the foam blocks, at the finishing stage they are covered with corrugated board.

Floor

It is possible to install window structures on a reinforced concrete parapet immediately, using various mounting and sealing compounds. Metal-plastic windows have excellent characteristics, with skillful installation they reliably protect the balcony and look aesthetically pleasing. When choosing a model, it is worth stopping at hinged frames with double glazing.

Floor

In order to insulate the floor, you can resort to two different directions at once: make it warm or constantly heat it up. We are talking about installing a floor heating system, for example, an electric one. Installing a water system on a balcony is very inconvenient and almost impossible, but installing an electric or film system is easy.

photos

It all starts with preparation. A waterproofing film is laid on the floor under the tiles, protecting the floor from moisture from the outside. Next, a crate is arranged. Instead of a log, a beam is used, five centimeters thick. If you do not want to raise the floor much relative to the old coating, it is better to use a beam of low height. A square bar 50 × 50 mm is perfect. The beams are laid every 40-60 cm.

To prevent moisture from entering the insulation from the inside, it is covered with a vapor barrier film. It is laid on top of the beams and attached to them with a construction stapler. For internal fastening, a fastening step of 50 cm is sufficient so as not to create unnecessary holes in the film. Polystyrene must be protected from moisture on all sides. Therefore, it is better to lay the film with an overlap on the walls. All gaps between the beams and the walls should be sealed with the same insulation material or mounting foam.

Walls

Many do not insulate the walls, believing that cold does not enter the balcony from the side of the house. In many ways it is, but the work needs to be done. The walls themselves are not sources of cold, but the joints between them and the side walls of the balcony can be. For this reason, all work can only consist in installing penofol, which is vapor-tight and thin. It will protect the walls from icing and the penetration of condensate into the balcony.

Ceiling. If we are talking about a private house, then it is best to make a special roof design. It is recommended to make a pitched roof, the slope of which is directed away from the house. The roof is made of rafters and battens. A waterproofing film is attached on top of it. Roofing material is attached to the film, and waterproofing is applied over a double-sided vapor barrier film, with the absorbent side inward. From below, the rafters are hemmed with a vapor-permeable windproof membrane.

The floor slab, that is, the horizontal part, must have several layers at once: insulation; vapor barrier layer; load-bearing beams with interior trim. The device begins with the installation of the frame, namely the truss system. Next, a double-sided vapor barrier membrane is attached to it in the indicated way. Then arrange the crate and lay the waterproofing layer. You can use classic roofing material or special PVC films.

Warming outside. In order to insulate the balcony from the outside on your own, you will need skills. It is not easy to do quality work yourself, taking into account the characteristics of the building. Finishing the outside means saving up to thirty percent on heating. Remember that outdoor work is fraught with some difficulties: if the balcony is above the second floor, then industrial climbers will have to be involved in the work.

Before you start insulation, get the consent of officials from the Department of Architecture. The appearance of the balcony can spoil the overall picture, but if you complete the decoration in the same style as the entire building, then you can get permission. Insulation from the outside has several advantages:

the reinforced concrete slab remains warm, moist air from the room freely passes through it and is released into the atmosphere;
saving usable space;
you can mount a layer of thermal insulation of any thickness, this will not affect the interior of the balcony in any way.

Materials can be used the same as for interior work. Preference is given to sprayed thermal insulation, as the lightest and most effective. Experts recommend using foam or polystyrene foam. Mineral wool is sensitive to moisture, so its installation requires special care and accuracy.

The independent procedure for warming a balcony is complicated. All stages must be completed at a high level, otherwise the room will not be completely isolated. Glass, panoramic, stained glass balcony is a great solution for a small space. Designers advise to connect it with a room for expansion. A glazed balcony connected to the kitchen on the top floor is a luxurious solution.

If the apartment or house has a balcony, then you should definitely use it, as this is an additional, and sometimes just a necessary area. If you approach the issue with imagination and think through all the nuances, you can get a small, but very cozy room. In order for the balcony to serve as a room, it must be insulated. How to insulate the balcony inside is decided by each owner independently, taking into account their financial capabilities and urgent needs. But a few words should be said about the nuances of the process and the materials used to insulate the balcony. It is necessary to choose these materials very carefully and pay attention to all the characteristics.

It is necessary to begin the development of any balcony with an objective assessment of its condition. If the apartment is located in a new house, recently handed over to residents, then you need to pay attention to the material from which the balcony structure is made. Also in new houses, it is necessary to pay attention to what the balcony of the neighbors is trimmed with. Often in such houses, neighbors try to adhere to a single style.

We make masonry from foam blocks

But if the balcony is located in a far from new apartment and has always been used as an open space, then work will have to start with balcony reinforcements. Strengthening is understood as the reconstruction of the concrete platform of the balcony, and the strengthening of the metal handrail. Also, such an event as strengthening the lower part of the upper balcony can be included in this process, this should also be taken into account. After resolving all these issues and choosing the material for the exterior cladding of the loggia (balcony), you can proceed to the interior decoration. To simplify this stage, you can lay out a wall of bricks or foam blocks up to half of the balcony, directly to the double-glazed windows. This will save on insulation.

Tip: If all stages of insulation are carried out at the same time, then it is better to immediately install double-glazed windows in the windows, since one glass gives heat loss in cold weather by 70% more.

Preparing for insulation

To start warming the balcony inside with any materials, you need to prepare. Having chosen the material for insulation, it is necessary to create a special wooden crate under it, on which it will then be attached. The exception is rolled materials that can be mounted under the crate. This frame is made of beams with a cross section of about 4-5 cm. The transverse and perpendicular beams must be fastened so that squares of 50 by 50 cm are obtained. Also, the crate can be made of a metal profile, but this material is somewhat more expensive than wooden bars. The main advantages of a metal frame are the ease of construction and ease of use.

Note: When calculating the necessary insulation for a balcony inside, it is necessary to take into account not only the dimensions of the walls, but the floor and ceiling, since these two positions also need to be insulated.

Material selection

A heater is laid in the crate on the inside of the balcony, which can be:

Styrofoam insulation is one of the most common ways of thermal insulation of balconies and loggias.

Styrofoam. The cheapest of these materials is plain white foam, 5 cm thick. If the room is insulated in cold latitudes, then you can take a thicker foam, it can reach a thickness of up to 10 cm. It can be easily cut into the required number of parts, and you can not strengthen anything additionally, but immediately lay the crates in the cells for finishing materials. The material is absolutely safe both when working with it and during subsequent use. The insulation is completely odorless, does not emit toxic substances, and styrene fumes in small quantities do not affect people's health. The installation of the material occurs without the formation of dust.

Warming with mineral wool

mineral wool. Mineral wool is a little more expensive, but its soundproofing performance is much higher, so if you need to get rid of extraneous sounds, it is better to use it. This material is completely natural and completely fireproof. The combustion temperature of mineral wool starts from a thousand degrees. The inconvenience of laying mineral wool briquettes lies in the obligatory observance of safety measures. The material in its composition contains small particles of glass, which cause itching of the skin. It is necessary to carry out installation in protected special clothing, goggles and a respirator.

Expanded clay. The material is an environmentally friendly insulation. The word "expanded clay" is translated from Greek as "burnt clay". The material is often used for floor and ceiling insulation. It is not entirely profitable for them to insulate the walls, since in addition they need to prepare a metal mesh as a support.

The installation of high-quality double-glazed windows plays a big role in the insulation of a balcony or loggia. - you will find the answer here.

Penofol. This material is one of the heat-insulating means that has a reflective effect. Represents a layer from the made foam self-extinguishing polyethylene with the closed air pores. Coated with high quality aluminum, 14 microns thick and 99.4% pure on one or both sides. Penofol is a universal material with steam, hydro, wind, and soundproof properties. The material has the appearance of a thin, flexible, light and environmentally friendly structure. It can be used as an additional vapor barrier, it is very convenient for them to work, as it is sold in rolls and can be easily cut even with ordinary scissors. This material protects the room from moisture from the outside and saves the room from condensation.

Penoplex. It is a new material specially developed for warming rooms. The material is very easy to install due to its low weight, so its use on the balcony is now relevant. It is produced in the form of rectangular plates of different thicknesses, which are easily cut with a clerical knife. It is also possible to produce "sandwich panels" by pouring. Insulation with a rough surface makes it easy to attach and glue them to other materials.
Izolon
Izolon. It is also a versatile material in terms of use. Confirmed safety in use as a heater and vapor barrier element. Excellent soundproofing characteristics.

The degree of thermal conductivity is compared:

with 15 cm brickwork

with 4.5 cm wood

with 4.5 cm mineral wool

with 1.2cm styrofoam

Reduces noise by at least 18 dB.

These are the basic materials for creating an insulating layer, which are now easy to find in any hardware store. We hope you now have more information about how to insulate a balcony from the inside and then we'll see how to do it.

How to insulate

One of the best methods for laying insulation is layered laying:

Surface waterproofing first.

The next layer is the selected insulating material, which is also fastened with appropriate fasteners. It can be nails, self-tapping screws, plastic fasteners with wide caps.

Then a vapor barrier is laid, which is fastened with a construction stapler.

At the final stage, a finishing material is attached to the crate using special fastening materials.

Styrofoam sheets are installed in the crate, and the joints are smeared with mounting foam
You should get a layer with a thickness of approximately 60 - 70 mm, this is the distance from the outer layer to the finishing one. Depending on climatic conditions, this size may vary. It must be understood that any layer of insulation requires financial costs and labor, so it is better to immediately make a balcony in good conscience and not try to save on trifles.

In a situation with floor insulation on the balcony the sequence is also the same. If it is decided to fill the floor with concrete, then first expanded clay is laid and a solution is distributed on top of it. The concrete solution must be carefully distributed with a special rule and try to make the surface as even as possible. Then ceramic tiles or other finishing materials can be laid on such a surface. Under the final finish, you can lay rolled heated floors, and this will give additional warming to the room.

A video instruction for self-assembly of a plasterboard ceiling is available at this address

If the option of a wooden floor is chosen, then first the guide logs are laid, between which the insulation is laid. Then a finishing board or chipboard is laid on the logs. Laying chipboard is necessary if further installation of laminate or linoleum is carried out. It is also worth noting that under the laminate it is necessary to lay special substrate, which will provide additional thermal insulation. When the walls and floors are finished, skirting boards are installed that hide the joints of the finish.

In the complex of works on the insulation of the balcony, attention must be paid to the ceiling. The process of insulation is carried out in the same way as the walls and floor. The task will be complicated by the moment when the balcony or loggia is on the top floor and there is no ceiling. In this case, you need to take into account the additional costs for the installation of the ceiling and roof.

When working on the insulation of the balcony, one should not fuss and rush, this can lead to an unreasonably large consumption of material. If you approach the matter with attention and carry out constant calculations, then you can get a full-fledged additional room for little money.

How to insulate a balcony from the inside video

We invite you to watch a video on the topic of our article “Insulation for a balcony inside - choose materials”, which shows in detail the entire process of insulating a balcony using penoplex and penofol.

In this article, we will talk about how to protect the walls of the loggia from the penetration of cold, and also give advice on what tools and materials will be useful to you for this purpose. But first I would like to dwell on those problems that will have to be overcome in the process of work.

Common Mistakes

A serious problem is created by condensate, which forms from the inside on the cold surface of the walls and ceiling. As a result, damp areas appear, which very quickly become covered with a layer of mold. This happens due to poor ventilation, improper insulation and heating systems.

When the ventilation of the room does not work correctly, the air quickly moves from the warm part of the apartment to the cold, i.e. to the loggia. There, excess moisture settles on the coldest surfaces. Ordinary doors help to avoid such a negative effect, which separate rooms with different temperature conditions, and, consequently, with different humidity.

Insulation systems also cause a lot of trouble. If, for example, the insulation of the walls and floor was done incorrectly, then moisture will certainly leave its marks on the problem areas of the loggia.

If you decide to save on foam, and instead sealed the seams between the plates with a putty mixture, then condensation is very likely to settle in these places with all the ensuing consequences. It is better not to make such mistakes at all, since it will be very difficult to eliminate them. Therefore, it is very important to adhere to the technology of all insulation processes.

Often the problem is a poor-quality loggia heating system. If this process occurs only due to warm air from the next room, then mold will certainly form in the cold corners of the outdoor room. Therefore, it is advisable to start wall insulation with floor insulation on the loggia.

This is also important in order to comply with building codes, because the installation of water heating on balconies is prohibited. A well-equipped warm floor is sensitive to temperature changes in its various areas and automatically eliminates this imbalance.

Silence

Insulation of walls, in addition to its main purpose, has other positive effects. It becomes much quieter on the loggia, which means that the noise level is significantly reduced in the rest of the room.

After all, it is the loggia that is exposed to numerous noise influences from the outside.

Material selection

The modern market of thermal insulation materials provides customers with a huge choice, which is quite difficult for a beginner to understand, so it is better to seek advice from specialists. Many of them are advised to opt for extruded polystyrene foam or, as it is called in everyday life, penoplex.

This material has excellent heat-saving properties, high strength and low hygroscopicity. In addition, it is easy to process, featuring high environmental standards and chemical neutrality.

Other types of foam are widely used as a heater, however, unlike foam plastic, they have more modest thermal insulation characteristics. Often for and loggias use penofol and mineral wool.

Wall insulation

Insulation of the walls of the balcony consists of several stages. Let's consider each of them in detail.

It is possible to successfully insulate a wall only if the corresponding preparatory work was initially carried out on the loggia. Do not be too lazy to spend time preparing, this will provide an excellent result.

First of all, thoroughly clean the walls of the old coating. It is good if, before warming, you replace outdated window structures with double-glazed windows, and also remove the old mounting foam from the frames.

For this, it is best to use a clerical knife. If there are significant mold formations on the inside of the walls, they must be eliminated. In this case, a fungicide spray will do.
Then you should carefully mark the lines for fixing the foam sheets.

Laying the insulating layer

At first, warming a loggia may seem like a rather complicated and time-consuming process. However, if you decide to try, you will quickly realize that there are no particular difficulties here. All operations are quickly mastered and do not require special construction skills.

From the balcony it will also be possible to make a comfortable and useful room. For example, equip it with an office, a workshop, a small sports area or a comfortable rest room.

Loggia insulation can be due to several reasons: insulation of the entire room or conversion into a functional workroom.

To keep the heat in the apartment, many factors are taken into account, such as the side on which the loggia overlooks, what building materials the house was made of, whether the neighbors' loggias are glazed.

To insulate the loggia, a variety of heaters are used: from the simplest to high-tech foamed insulation. Due to the fact that the loggias have a small area, in order to save space, it is better to give preference to thinner, compact and lightweight materials. A heater with a width of at least 3 cm is used. If the loggia is combined with a room or kitchen, then the thickness of the insulation increases to 5 cm.

Materials for warming the loggia

The following materials can be used as a heater:

To insulate the loggia, we need

insulation;
facing material;
mounting foam;
glue;
floor leveling compound
waterproofing materials or mixtures;
wooden slats;
metallized tape;
dowels;
nails;
wide head screws.

Other additional materials may be used depending on the finish.

We will need the following tools:

electric drill;
perforator with a drill;
hammer;
construction knife;
building level;
brush or roller;
spatulas.

When insulating, it is important to choose the right insulation so that there is a feeling of dryness and there is no problem emerging condensate in a sheltered loggia. The insulation must have a low thermal conductivity, which affects the determination of the thickness of the thermal insulation layer. Must have breathability and moisture resistance.

The sequence of work when warming the loggia

It is necessary to clean the walls, floor and ceiling of the loggia from old facing materials. Large gaps in concrete loggias should be covered with concrete mix.

Glazing

Installation of double-glazed windows, preferably two-chamber. It can be aluminum profiles, PVC profiles, natural wood windows. Requires special attention window sill installation since the front wall is the coldest place. The width of the window sill must be calculated before ordering it. To do this, you need to know the thickness of the insulation and the thickness of the facing material, also add 10 mm to the bumps.

Loggia preparation

If required, then the old balcony door and window are dismantled, if the loggia is combined with the room. For a wider opening, part of the wall is knocked out. It must be remembered that the association of the loggia is redevelopment, therefore, all actions must be coordinated with BTI.

Check the walls and floor again. All holes must be filled with mounting foam. After the foam has dried, a lubricating waterproofing must be applied to the lower part of the walls.
Floor leveling. Use cement-sand mixtures.
Waterproofing to protect against moisture.

Floors, walls and ceiling are sheathed waterproofing material, such as roofing felt or expanded polyethylene film. This is necessary so that condensation does not accumulate on the heat-insulating material. The roofing material is overlapped, glued to the base, gluing the joints with gas burner. Instead of roofing felt and film, penetrating waterproofing is used, which is a thick mixture. It is applied with a roller or brush. You can also use polyurethane, painting mastics.

Floor insulation

The floor should be warm, durable and light. There are several options for insulation:

the floor surface can be covered with expanded clay and make a screed;
instead of expanded clay, heat-insulating material (pressed foam, extruded polystyrene foam) can be glued to the floor, a gypsum fiber sheet can be glued on top;
set wooden logs, place the selected insulation in the empty space, then nail the tongue-and-groove boards onto the logs;

Wall and ceiling insulation

The choice of the method of laying the thermal insulation material depends on the subsequent finishing. If the front finish is in the form plasters and paints, then either gluing is used, or plastic fasteners are used when installing the insulation. If the front finish will be used drywall or lining, then the installation takes place with the help of fasteners. The foam slab is applied to the wall from the corner, a hole is drilled with an electric drill. Plastic fasteners are hammered into these holes, then the anchors are driven into the center of the caps. Foam boards are better put in a run so that the plates are staggered. This avoids displacement and improves the insulation properties around the perimeter of the ceiling and walls.

Sheathing with finishing material. For cladding, you can use moisture-resistant drywall, rack or wooden lining, wall panels. A layer is left between the facing material and the insulation air in 1.5cm using an attached wooden crate, which is attached to the concrete wall with self-tapping screws. Attached to this frame chosen veneer: drywall, lining. When facing with drywall, the joints between the plates are sealed with putty. They also use a glass mesh with small cells. The ceiling can be made suspended, under which hide wiring.

Floor covering is laid on the floor. It can be a euroboard up to 4 mm thick. Many people prefer to install linoleum or carpet after laying wood flooring. When the option of floor insulation using a concrete screed is used, then the system is installed electric floor heating. Removing central heating is prohibited by building codes. Or use heaters and electric fireplaces for heating. With individual heating in the room, you can install radiator under the window sill on the loggia.

Installation of skirting boards, sockets and switches.

Thus, the insulation of the loggia will depend on the goal pursued and on available budget.

Video instruction for warming the loggia

We warm the balcony from the inside correctly. 6 stages of work

Creating a favorable microclimate on the loggia involves not only wall insulation, the entire space must be airtight. The floor and ceiling surfaces are also sheathed with a material with a low degree of thermal conductivity. In our article, you will learn how to properly insulate a balcony from the inside.

The choice of heat insulator

Advantages and disadvantages are inherent in each type of thermal insulation. In order to choose the most suitable insulation, you should compare the main characteristics of heat insulators.

The most common options for heat insulators:

Extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex);
Foamed polyethylene (penofol);
Polyurethane foam (PPU);
Styrofoam;
Mineral wool.

Mineral wool

The thickness of the sheets varies from 2 to 20 cm. Mineral wool is divided into three types, depending on the components of the raw materials:

An example of a mineral wool device on a loggia. The material is placed in the prepared structure. The frame for mounting can be made of metal profiles or wooden bars.

Manufacturers produce cotton wool in the form of mats and soft rolls. In some cases, one side is covered with foil. Aluminum foil improves the level of thermal insulation.

The main disadvantage is that moisture acts destructively, a vapor barrier device is necessary.

Polymer-based insulation

Penoplex, polyurethane foam, polystyrene, foamed polyethylene are polymers treated with foamed compounds.

Advantages:

The presence of gas bubbles provides not only a good level of thermal insulation, but also a small weight of the plates;
High degree of moisture resistance;
The materials are durable;
Antifungal resistance;
Simplicity and convenience when laying plates or sheets, as well as rolls (polyethylene foam);
An economical repair option, subject to the choice of foam as a heater.

Main disadvantage: support the spread of flame during a fire, emit harmful substances in the combustion process.

When choosing foam and other materials based on polymers, it is necessary to correctly select the thickness of the plates and determine the density

1. Styrofoam sheets

Insulator plates (expanded polystyrene) in the process of laying.

Styrofoam refers to budgetary methods of warming a loggia, however, it is considered a rather fragile material, so a crate is required for installation. A worthy replacement is extruded polystyrene foam; its installation does not require the creation of a special frame.

2. Penoplex

Extruded polystyrene foam boards (thickness 50 mm) are used as insulation. The seams between the elements are sealed with mounting foam. Penoplex is attached with the help of special dish-shaped dowels ("fungi").

3. Penofol

The material is used as a separate heat insulator, and with the help of penofol it is possible to provide a vapor barrier of expanded polystyrene. Due to the foil side, warm air is reflected and retained in the room.

In order to speed up the insulation of the structure, you can use an alternative method of thermal insulation - spraying polyurethane foam (PPU).

4. Polyurethane foam

PPU is one of the most modern heat insulators. The cost of application services is considered high compared to other analogues, however, many have managed to evaluate the performance properties of PPU. This insulation is characterized by high thermal insulation performance, due to the finely porous structure.

The main stages of work on the insulation of the loggia space

In order to increase the usable area in your home and operate the premises all year round, you must:

1. Close the gaps, if any. Carefully study the room to eliminate all design flaws. As a rule, the gaps are filled with mounting foam, even if they are of a significant size.

After complete drying, it is necessary to trim the excess.

2. Glazing with reliable double-glazed windows.

3. Arrange a waterproofing layer. To protect against moisture, waterproofing with penetrating properties is used - Penetron, Aquaton, etc. The composition is applied with a roller, brush, or sprayed. Such impregnation penetrates into the thickness, so the walls become maximally resistant to adverse weather, and strength characteristics are improved.

5. Installation of a vapor barrier layer. In order to make a vapor barrier, special polymer membranes (“breathing”) should be used, as well as films “Rockwool”, “Izospan”, penofol.

Balcony decoration

Purposes of creating interior decoration:

External masking of the heat insulator;
Organization of a favorable internal environment in the room.

To create an interior balcony, you can choose from various finishes. Plaster, plastic panels, MDF, lining, plywood, plasterboard sheets and even a block house are perfect for the finishing layer.

The lining panels are environmentally friendly and reliable. One of the main advantages of the finishing material is rigidity. The lining is fixed on a wooden frame crate.

The walls of the loggia are lined with clapboard, the flooring is laminate.

Facing the balcony with a block house.

The plastic panels have grooves for connecting elements. The plastic version of the lining has less rigidity and strength than wood.

Installation of GKLV sheets on metal profiles. Plasterboard slabs can be decorated with wallpaper, painted, or lined with decorative plaster.

Wall decoration with wallpaper over GKLV sheets.

Bamboo wallpaper. The basis for finishing - drywall.

Video

1. The result of warming the loggia.

Glazed balcony. Demonstration of electrical outputs. Testing the strength of extruded polystyrene foam. The use of foam plastic with a thickness of 30 and 50 mm, wall finishing with putty. Concrete floor screed over insulation boards.

2. Stages of repair work on the balcony.

Sequential process of arranging the premises. Scheme of thermal insulation of walls with polystyrene foam and foamed polyethylene, finishing - plastic panels. Floor: leveling, thermal insulation, OSB cladding, installation of laminate lamellas.

How to insulate a balcony with your own hands: from a refrigerator to a warm island

To begin with, it is worth saying that there are two ways to insulate a balcony - from the inside and outside. External insulation, of course, is more convenient - precious centimeters of area are not “eaten up”, and the cladding of the balcony facade becomes more pleasant. But this is a laborious process that requires the involvement of a construction team and industrial climbers. Therefore, in the article we will focus on how to properly insulate a balcony in an apartment from the inside - this can be done independently.

For insulation inside the balcony, first of all, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. They include several important steps:

How to start warming a loggia or balcony? Free up space from all unnecessary. It is best if the balcony is completely empty: it is much easier to work this way. Also, get rid of the old finish in advance.
Seal all the cracks - a lot of heat escapes through them. For small gaps, a weather-resistant sealant is suitable, fill larger gaps with mounting foam - it will not only fill the voids, but also serve as an additional heat insulator.
To make it easier for you to carry out work on insulation, it is important to even out cracks and irregularities on the walls and ceiling with cement mortar.
If you plan to place light bulbs or lighting fixtures on the balcony, you should take care of the wiring in advance. To hide unpresentable cables, place them in plastic boxes.
Before starting work, cover the opening between the balcony and the adjacent room with a film so that building dust and other pollutants do not get into the apartment.

Is it possible to insulate a balcony in winter? Yes, you can. Only when working in winter, it is necessary to choose frost-resistant materials, in particular mounting foam.

How to insulate a balcony: what materials are better to choose

To understand how to insulate a loggia or balcony, let's first figure out what properties the materials should have:

high strength;
fire safety;
water resistance;
environmental friendliness;
relatively low cost;
ease of installation (if we want to do all the work with our own hands).

Most often, mineral wool, polystyrene foam, polystyrene, etc. are used for insulation. Sometimes several of these materials are combined. We have reflected the pros and cons of each heat insulator in the table:

What is the best insulation for a balcony? The answer to this question depends on your preferences and financial capabilities. You can read more about the characteristics of heaters, as well as about the insulation of an apartment as a whole, in our blog.

How to properly insulate a balcony inside: the choice of insulation

Having completed the insulation of the balcony, you can achieve 2 goals at once: expand the living space and improve the degree of thermal insulation of the apartment. It is most correct to produce external insulation, but here you can not do without the services of industrial climbers and the corresponding costs. Warming the balcony from the inside will be much cheaper, especially if you do it yourself.

How to insulate the balcony inside

A positive result of the work performed is the equally comfortable temperature inside the room and the balcony adjacent to it. It makes no sense to invest effort and money in insulation that does not protect against the penetration of cold onto the balcony and forces you to tightly close the doors leading to the loggia in winter.

Here, the type of insulation used and its thickness, as well as compliance with the technology of work, play an important role.

As a rule, for internal insulation of balconies is used:

foamed polystyrene with a density of 25-35 kg / m 3, otherwise - foam;
mineral wool based on basalt fiber 80-110 kg / m 3 density;
extruded polystyrene foam (one of its varieties is penoplex).

Note! For additional thermal insulation, thin foil insulation made of polyethylene foam - Izolon or Penofol - is often laid on the main layer.

In addition to the above insulators, there is another insulating material - ecowool, made from cellulose waste. In other words, waste paper. The rules for handling it and the installation technology are used the same as with basalt wool. Ecowool is not very popular due to its high cost.

Brief description of heaters

Styrofoam is the cheapest material for insulation, produced in the form of plates of various thicknesses.

Like all foamed polymers, it repels moisture well and has sufficient strength (at the specified density). It is characterized by high resistance to heat transfer and flammability, which requires protection from accidental sparks.

The thickness of the foam for insulation of the balcony in the northern regions should be at least 100 mm, in the southern regions 50 mm may be enough.

Unlike polystyrene, mineral wool does not burn at all, but it is able to absorb moisture, after which its thermal conductivity rises sharply. The problem is solved with the help of protective layers of special films, which will be discussed later.

The heat transfer resistance of mineral wool is not too high, so it makes no sense to use a material with a thickness of less than 80 mm. Insulation is offered in rolls and plates, and at a price it will cost more than polystyrene.

Advice! Do not insulate the balcony with fiberglass-based wool (glass wool) intended for outdoor or roofing work. The use of such materials inside residential premises is unacceptable.

The best option for internal insulation of a balcony is extruded polystyrene foam, sold in slabs.

Expanded polystyrene is durable, lightweight and has the best thermal insulation properties.

Where it is necessary to lay mineral wool 100 mm thick, 50 mm of foam plastic will suffice.

In addition, the polymer is absolutely impervious to moisture and is so strong that the plate can be screwed on with self-tapping screws if necessary. There is only one drawback - the high price of the material, which is offset by the long service life of the material - up to 50 years.

Balcony insulation technology from the inside

To carry out thermal insulation on the balcony, you must carefully prepare. This includes not only the purchase of materials and the preparation of tools, but also the implementation of a number of preliminary works:

The device of a reliable parapet. 2 types of structures are practiced: a welded metal frame with fastening to the wall or masonry from foam blocks. How to strengthen the parapet - read here.
Installation of metal-plastic or wooden windows. Sometimes the balcony is made panoramic by installing metal-plastic blocks to the full height, without a parapet. Then it remains to insulate only the floors and ceiling.
Elimination of all cracks and leaks leading to the street, removal of excess mounting foam.
Laying electrical wiring for lighting, as well as drainage and lines with freon to the outdoor unit of the air conditioner (if any).

Before insulating the balcony inside, you need to level all surfaces, removing obvious influxes or filling up cavities and cracks with mortar.

Interior wall decoration

The technology of do-it-yourself balcony wall insulation depends on the design of the parapet and the heat-insulating material used. It is better to sheathe a metal frame, finished on the outside with plastic or corrugated board, with 2 layers of thermal insulation so that the second row of insulation covers all metal racks that are cold bridges. Moreover, from the outside, between the cladding and the insulation, a windproof film should be laid.

When insulating a balcony with mineral wool, it is necessary to use not an ordinary film, but a diffusion membrane as a windscreen. It will let the moisture that occurs in the thickness of the cotton wool out, but will not let it get wet from precipitation or fog on the street. For polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene, the use of a membrane is not necessary; a regular film is also suitable.

To fix the mineral wool, you will need to assemble with your own hands an additional wooden frame made of bars, whose width is equal to the thickness of the insulation. The step between the bars is selected according to the width of the material, the latter is inserted between them by surprise. At the last stage, the heat-insulating layer is covered with a vapor barrier film, after which the frame is sewn up with clapboard or drywall.

ceiling lining

A foam block parapet and a balcony ceiling can be insulated in 3 ways:

If you plan to paint or wallpaper at the end, then the method of gluing the slab insulation with a building mixture is suitable. Warming, accompanied by "wet" processes, is carried out only in the warm season at positive temperatures.
For sheathing with drywall or similar finishing, you will have to attach wooden bars to the walls and ceiling, and lay the roll or slab material between them.
When insulated with polystyrene foam, the plates can be fixed directly to the walls and ceiling with dowels. After that, the surfaces are leveled with putty and painted, or a crate is placed by fixing the bars to the foam blocks or concrete through the insulation. Lining, plastic, drywall and other finishes of your choice are calmly attached to the crate.

Note! To fasten the battens to the concrete ceiling through the expanded polystyrene, you must use special screws for concrete - frame dowels.

When insulating a balcony with mineral wool, a wooden frame is indispensable. Cotton wool can also be glued, but it is quite difficult to plaster it with your own hands. The best option is to insert it between the beams attached to the wall and ceiling, protect it with a vapor barrier and line it with a suitable material.

The gluing method is convenient when working with foam plastic, but after 2 days it must be additionally fixed with dowel umbrellas and a plaster layer is applied over the fiberglass mesh.

Video:

Floor insulation

The technology of thermal insulation of balcony floors differs from walls and ceilings, since the “pie” of insulation must bear certain dynamic loads and have a flat surface. Alignment is carried out by laying wooden logs, between which a heater is laid, and a finishing coating is laid on top. The sequence of actions is as follows:

Cut a wooden beam into crossbars along the width of the balcony and fix them to the floor with anchors or self-tapping screws and dowels using steel corners.
Fasten 3 longitudinal logs to the crossbars on self-tapping screws. In the process, they must be aligned horizontally, starting from the highest point. Using the building level, the beams at the intersection with the crossbars should be raised and plastic or wooden wedges should be placed.
Between the crossbars and the log, lay the insulation tightly. In the case of mineral wool, a vapor barrier must be laid on top of it.
Lay a floor covering with fastening to the logs.

Note! Some craftsmen practice insulation of the balcony floor with polystyrene foam without installing a log. The method is unsuccessful, since it will be difficult to bring the surface of the floors to one level. See floor leveling instructions here.

It is characteristic that the length of the crossbars and the log does not need to be adjusted to the dimensions of the balcony. It would be more correct to make them shorter by 10-20 mm so that the ends do not rest against the walls. Wood has the ability to "breathe" and deform a little; with a tight fit, the floor surface may later arch.

Moreover, walking on such floors will be accompanied by an annoying creak. The resulting gaps near the walls will hide under the floor covering and become invisible.

When using slab insulation, it is worth choosing the step of the crossbars correctly so that you do not have to cut the slabs once again. The standard width is 600 mm, and you need to focus on it. After laying foam or expanded polystyrene, all joints and cracks must be filled with mounting foam.

Useful instructional video:

Mineral wool is protected with a vapor barrier as tightly as possible so that moisture from inside the room cannot seep into it. Here, too, you can use foamed polyethylene such as Penofol, but pay special attention to gluing the joints.

If you seriously and scrupulously approach the procedure for internal insulation of a balcony, then it is not at all necessary to hire craftsmen and pay them money, which is never superfluous. You will spend twice as much time to complete the work, but you will do everything with high quality and in accordance with personal wishes. In addition, save money for the family budget.

The operation of the balcony all year round will increase the useful area of the apartment. Creating a comfortable microclimate is possible if you take into account the rules and recommendations of specialists for warming the balcony with their own hands. In our article, we will consider repairs using the example of a loggia of the following dimensions: 7.5 m in length, 1.16 in width and 2.9 in height. Step by step instructions and photos in the process. It took 2 weeks to repair, the budget was 40 thousand rubles, the year of construction was 2013.

On the example of Moscow
. The most useful from youtube

Required tool

Screwdriver and electric drill;
Construction stapler, level;
Scissors, knife;
Marker, laser tape measure;
Hammer;
Putty knife;
Gas-burner;
Special gun for glue or mounting foam;
Containers for mixing components;
Adhesive tape (painting and reinforced);
Rags, sponges, etc.;
Nozzles for a drill, with which you can stir building mixtures.

Materials (what to buy)

Structures for glazing;
Material for organizing a waterproofing layer (polyethylene foam);
Insulation (mineral wool 70 mm thick);
Wooden logs for leveling the floor and creating a solid foundation (50x50);
Plywood sheets (10 mm);
Glue, metal tape;
Tiles for wall cladding in two shades;
Laminate (thickness 12 mm).

Instructions for warming on a living example

Consider a simple repair option that most apartment owners resort to:

1. Balcony preparation before repair

On the eve of glazing, you need to carefully check the space and eliminate chips, cracks and gaps.

Depending on the size of the defect, polyurethane mastic, polyurethane foam, sealants are used. To organize a convenient embedding, use a special gun designed to apply mounting foam.

The space is insulated with double-glazed windows made of PVC profile.

Glazing the loggia, or replacing old windows with new double-glazed windows is an obligatory stage of work to protect the space from heat loss.

Other materials for glazing are also used: wood, aluminum and metal-plastic. Elements of window frames must be treated with paint and antiseptics. The wooden structure of the windows is not airtight, has a low level of thermal insulation and an inconvenient opening mechanism. Aluminum windows are a durable option, characterized by comfort and reliability, but the level of heat loss is quite high.

It is better to give preference to PVC window frames, which also contain aluminum, but the inner formwork is not made of metal.

PVC windows are resistant to moisture and sudden changes in temperature. Such frames are easy to use, sealed and have a low level of thermal conductivity.

Masking cables in the wall for connecting the air conditioner.

2. Raising the floor level and thermal insulation

Floor waterproofing with penofol.

Most often, the materials at the base of the floor and walls are concrete and brick, which strongly absorb moisture and vapors. In order for the heat insulator to retain its properties, a waterproofing layer should be organized. Instead of penofol for waterproofing, you can choose roofing material or special impregnation. Penofol is laid with an overlap, the sheets are connected to each other using a gas burner.

Creation of a frame from rails (50x50).

Floor lathing for the subsequent laying of mineral wool.

For the construction of the crate, wooden logs are used. The frame elements are fixed to each other with self-tapping screws using a screwdriver. The step of the rails directly depends on the material of the thermal insulation.

Usually the distance between the slats is 50 cm, however, for laying a soft heat insulator, the pitch of the frame elements should be reduced.

In order to exclude cold bridges in the structure, it is necessary to carefully organize the thermal insulation around the perimeter. Mineral wool is laid between the elements of the mounted frame. We fill the joints with scraps of a heat insulator and mounting foam.

Mineral wool laid in the cells of the crate on the floor.

During the work, a mistake was made - due to the different dimensions of the heat insulator (70 mm) and the height of the bars (50 mm), spacers had to be made.

Raising the floor to the level of the threshold - 20 cm.

The device of plywood sheets on the frame of the crate.

When laying plywood 10 mm sagged, so it is better to choose stronger sheets, such as 20 mm chipboard or OSB.

3. Wall insulation and window sill installation

We begin the construction of a frame to create a window sill from metal elements. This frame will allow you to insulate the parapet of gas blocks.

We do laying of electricians for lamps and other devices in advance.

We fill the metal frame with insulation, after which we sheathe the GKLV structure.

Proper insulation of the parapet on the advice of experts:

Impregnation with special hydrophobic solutions;
Fixing penofol with a construction stapler, aluminum tape, or glue;
Filling joints;
Installation of the second layer of thermal insulation;
Vapor barrier. A special membrane is suitable for organizing the layer.

Then we protect the other walls of the room from the loss of the body. To create a reliable design of the glazing of the loggia, the insulation of the parapet and the floor is not enough. Basically, a balcony parapet is created from a material with good strength and thermal insulation (foam blocks, gas blocks), however, such a fence does not protect the insulation from moisture.

Mineral wool was also chosen for thermal insulation of other walls.

In addition to mineral wool, other types of insulation will also fit in its place: extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex), foil polyethylene (penofol), polystyrene or polyurethane foam (PPU). The basis of all these heat insulators are polymers, which are treated with foamed compounds.

The insulated parapet is sheathed with GKLV.

Facing the base of GKLV with ceramic tiles.

Evenness of laying tiles is ensured with the help of special elements - crosses.

Alternative types of finishes are: PVC panels, wooden lining, wallpaper, block house.

In this example, the ceiling surface was not insulated. On the one hand, the apartment is located on an intermediate floor (11 out of 19) and there is no direct threat of precipitation, however, heat loss will occur through the floor slab, even if the neighbors from above have well-insulated floors.

If we are talking about the insulation of the loggia of the upper floor, in this case, the ceiling slab can be protected by installing a roof. The visor is built with a slope for rainwater and snow to drain.

4. Installation and connection of sockets

We mount a socket with a light control function.

To install the socket in the wall, you need to punch a hole.

5. Finishing the room

We cover the floor with laminate and the walls with tiles. Flush docking as a result of the work failed.

In order to compensate for the deflection of thin plywood, we choose a laminate with a thickness of 12 mm.

The shortcomings of the repair in a real example are the lack of a finishing coating.

A small element of ceramic tiles is missing.

There was also not enough tiles.

In this corner with flaws in the finish, a closet is planned, which should hide most of the visible defects.

In order to avoid a shortage of material, it is necessary to think over everything in as much detail as possible on the eve of work, drawing up a diagram according to the actual dimensions of the room. It is better to purchase material with some margin.

We decorate the window sill with ceramic tiles.

Installation of plinth on the loggia.

Threshold tiling.

When raising the floor to the level of the threshold, it is better to use one material in the finish, so the surfaces will be more harmoniously combined with each other.

During the repair process, a gap formed between the window sill and the glazing structure, to eliminate which it is necessary to use special internal corners.

The photo shows a sample of the outer corner, which was purchased by mistake.

The result of masking the gap with the outer corner.

The room after laying tiles, laminate and creating a black stretch ceiling with five spotlights.

In the future, a closet will be mounted in this part of the balcony.

1. Tips from an experienced specialist

A range of insulators used to form a warm space on a balcony. Features of various heaters. Practical recommendations for creating a reliable design.

2. Master class on the installation of a waterproofing layer

Details of installation of waterproofing on the balcony. Laying ceramic tiles.