Cooking sledges in the summer: warming the balcony

With the onset of winter comes the realization of the inferiority of the loggia and balcony. However, the sledge is prepared, as you know, in the summer. So, it's time to improve this room. The penetration of cold winds, rain and snow is prevented by glazing of the loggia. Warming balconies also directly affects the comfort temperature in the apartment. Where should I begin to warm the balcony, what materials should I use? Let's figure it out.

Balcony glazing

Naturally, installing a wooden or plastic frame around the perimeter does not mean warming the balcony in the full sense of the word. Glazing is just an initial stage, but a fundamental one.

There are several ways to do this. When choosing a window design, you should proceed from how warm you want to make a "viewing platform" of your apartment.

The best option, corresponding to heat and sound insulation, are plastic frames. However, the high hermeticity of such a system often causes accumulation of condensate, which leads to the formation of mold and fungus. Therefore, you should pay attention to the window frames with natural ventilation.

Wooden frames are still in demand due to their availability. They are inferior in many respects to the plastic competitor both in terms of insulation and aesthetic requirements. The main drawback is the need for periodic staining. As a rule, it is the open part of the window structure that is exposed to the external environment that remains untreated by the protective coating, which leads to cracks and, accordingly, to depressurization.

There is a way of frameless glazing. Such designs are rarely used by the domestic consumer. Despite the practicality, beauty and convenience in use, their widespread distribution is hampered by high cost.

Stages of work

Glazing the open part of the balcony, we proceed to the insulation of walls and floor. Naturally, by this time you have already decided on the choice of the necessary material. We start warming the balcony from the walls. And only three external planes need to be insulated: the partition between the balcony and the room does not absorb, but gives out warm air. Its design should only have a decorative function.

From wooden beams or metal profiles we construct a crate on the walls. Between the structure and the surface of the walls we leave a small space, where we place the waterproofing film, which will protect the heater from the accumulation of moisture. On top we lay a warming material, after that we construct one more skeleton on which the siding or a wooden lining will be mounted.

Work with the floor is carried out in the same manner. First, we lining the concrete slab with a waterproofing film. By the way, many prefer foil foaming. Then lay the wooden logs with an intermediate distance of 50 cm. Fill the space between the cells with a heater, which is used as mineral or basalt cotton wool, polystyrene foam or foam. The last two materials have the same chemical composition. However, the insulation of the balcony by the penoplex is considered the best option. The fact is that his special technological treatment gives him stable heat engineering indicators, which makes this material the most suitable for the insulation of balconies and loggias.

After laying the heat-insulating material, another skeleton is constructed for fixing the main floor covering. In particular, plywood.

Warming the balcony is not only the protection of walls and floor. Do not leave the exposed ceiling unprotected, otherwise warm air will go to neighbors.

The ceiling is insulated in the same sequence. The only difficulty here is the inconvenience of the work.

We begin with metal hangers, on which profiles will be fixed in the future, they will become the main fixers of the first layer in the form of a waterproofing film. To permanently get rid of such troubles as accumulation of condensate, use the best foil polystyrene foam. Its heat-reflecting ability will prevent the vapor and condensate from settling on the ceiling.

The last thermal insulation layer is laid after the walls are warmed. And, of course, the sheathing of walls and ceiling by the final material, which performs mainly decorative function, must be carried out simultaneously.