Considering our small-sized apartments, the balcony is not just insulated, glazed and finished with high quality. As a rule, everyone tries to squeeze something useful out of this room. Therefore, ideas come to create, say, a bathroom or even a sauna. It must be said that thanks to modern capabilities this is possible. Moreover, the operation will be safe and even legal. After all, the law prohibits the arrangement of such premises in living rooms. But the balcony is not like that.
Insulation
In both cases, you will need high-quality insulation: heat, sound and hydro. This will avoid many problems in the future. Of course, it will not be possible to perform insulation perfectly. You should not expect that sounds, water and heat will accumulate on the balcony and will not reach the street or neighbors. However, we can say for sure that the likelihood of their penetration outside the balcony will be minimized.
Attaching a balcony to a room or kitchen
This instruction was issued from above, and therefore, in practice, such a redevelopment of the balcony is inconsistent; the bureaucrats will issue a refusal, classifying it as reconstruction under Article 14, Article 1 of the Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation (although again, obviously this is not spelled out there).
Arguments that it is not just connecting the balcony, but also insulating it with the ability to provide an engineering calculation of the load on the heating system, and then come to the conclusion that the heating system will cope with the additional load are not accepted with reference to the fact that this affects heat consumption throughout the house, area, etc.
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But not all configurations need to be registered; redevelopment does not include: Regular reconstruction of an apartment Demolition and relocation of interior partitions (not load-bearing walls), as well as the installation of gaps in them. This rule does not apply to cases of moving or dismantling partitions between kitchen and living spaces; Construction of new partitions between rooms, if this does not entail an increase in the load on the floor; Elimination of door gaps in walls of any type.
Options
There are two ways to make a sauna on the balcony:
- buy a prefabricated structure;
- do it yourself.
As for the first option, this is indeed possible. Although you will need to take into account that the minimum dimensions of such a design are: width, length - more than 80 cm, height - more than 2 meters. Today, many manufacturers give consumers the opportunity to purchase a mini-sauna, which is perfect for limited space. Photos of such models can be viewed additionally.
If we consider the option of creating a sauna or bath yourself, then this is also possible. To do this, the room needs to be prepared: insulated, sheathed with wood, wired, and so on. By the way, about wiring, it needs to be given special attention here. Indeed, in conditions of high humidity and high temperatures, its damage can cause immediate negative consequences. Therefore, the insulation of the wiring must be done as carefully as possible.
How is the installation done?
Naturally, before installing a sauna, the room must be in full combat readiness: insulated, glazed, hydro- and soundproofed. You will be able to build the desired sauna with your own hands using the following:
- electric oven;
- box with large stones;
- wooden panels that can be easily assembled and disassembled.
Wood can only be used from aspen, linden, spruce and pine. Before using the boards, it is necessary to prepare them, because they must be safe, smooth and light and not dry out under the influence of high temperatures in the sauna:
- dry (no more than 10% humidity);
- polish;
- treat with antifungal drugs.
Door to the sauna
You can make panels from eurolining of the above-mentioned types of wood with your own hands. All you need is screws and a screwdriver. But the best option, undoubtedly, is to purchase a ready-made sauna that can be easily assembled. The sequence of installing a sauna is simple:
- Assemble a box of any size from the shields (see photo)
- Place the stove in the constructed sauna. Remember that the oven cable must be fire resistant.
- Vapor and waterproof the walls, floor and ceiling of the room using special polyethylene or foil. Construct the ceiling especially responsibly: condensation will drip from above, and conscientious insulation will save you from the problem.
- Only waterproof lampshades with fire-resistant cable are suitable for lighting.
- The clock and thermometer can be installed as a last resort.
For example, Finnish saunas (you can see how they look in the photo) come in various sizes, the smallest of which is 80x80 cm. The wood from which the seats and shelves are made should not emit resin (for example, linden).
Any steam room must be clean and well maintained. The primary rule when using it is compliance with hygiene standards. Monitor the cleanliness of the balcony area and ensure that it has time to dry. This can be achieved with rational distribution of procedure time.
A sauna is a room with a high fire hazard. To equip this room with electrical wiring, it is better to entrust such work to a qualified electrician who knows a lot about his business. Be sure to follow the rules for visiting the steam room so as not to harm your health. If you are the only one in the apartment, refuse to visit the steam room. After all, in critical situations no one will come to help you.
Construction of a sauna on the balcony will have limited freedom of action
The use of brick and concrete is prohibited due to the possibility of overloading the floors. Naturally, it is unrealistic to supply water and sewerage to the balcony, so only paired procedures will be available to you.
Due to the fact that not everyone is allowed to have a sauna due to health problems, there are certain subtleties in its construction. For example, the door between the living room and the steam room should open freely outward. If you feel unwell, you can leave the premises without any problems. All items in direct contact with the skin must be partially or completely trimmed with wood. This way you can avoid burns and accidents that are hazardous to your health.
The steam room will become a real paradise on earth if it is built correctly and decorated in compliance with all safety rules. A steam room located on the balcony has some advantages: compactness and low energy costs. Now after a hard day you can relax and unwind not only in the bathroom, but here too.
Restrictions
Of course, installing a sauna on a balcony presents certain limitations, both when creating and using such a room. For example, when arranging, you cannot use concrete and brick so as not to overload the floors.
Also, taking into account individual conditions, it is not always possible to supply water, so it is possible that you will have to be content with only steam.
Why is it impossible to coordinate the transfer of the bathroom to the loggia?
Loggias and balconies belong to the category of unheated premises and therefore government services do not allow them to be used for other purposes. It is also officially impossible to agree in Moscow on the placement of a bathroom, kitchen or office in the loggia. Redevelopment, in which a bathroom is located in the loggia, is contrary to construction, sanitary and legal standards. And the argument that you first insulated the loggia and then moved the bathroom there will not work.
There are also technical difficulties when placing a bathroom in a loggia:
- Firstly, it is ensuring normal ventilation;
- Secondly, this is water drainage - sewerage.
Due to the fact that the ventilation duct of the general house ventilation is located relatively far from the loggia, the performance of the artificial system will most likely not be effective. And this is the problem of unpleasant odors, the appearance of fungus and other troubles. The box will also need to be pulled through the room in transit to organize sewerage and ventilation, which will require finding a solution for its decoration.
Advantages
- Of course, this is won space. You don’t have to think about where to allocate space inside the apartment for arranging a sauna or bathroom. The balcony in this case acts as a lifesaver. This way, you can free up space for another useful space.
- Low cost. Given the limited dimensions, in such a small space it will not require many resources to create the necessary room.
- Compactness. A sauna or bath on the balcony will not take up much space, but will become a cozy space for regular visits, which will be pleasant to be in.
Selecting materials for a balcony sauna
It is better to select and purchase the necessary materials in advance, since in the case of sauna insulation, accurate calculations are important. Correcting mistakes on the fly and changing the plan of action is a bad idea.
As for hydro- and vapor barriers, as well as insulation, you won’t have to come up with anything new. You can safely use:
- Polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam, etc. for outdoor work;
- Mineral wool for internal insulation;
- Foil vapor barrier;
- Thick waterproofing film;
- Polyurethane foam and various sealants.
The main thing when choosing materials is to pay attention to their quality and fire safety.
As for finishing materials, the best solution for a sauna is wood. Moreover, for the steam room it is better to choose larch lining with a 10% degree of shrinkage. For the rest, conifers are well suited - when heated, they will give off a pleasant aroma to the room.
Safety
- You should not take sauna treatments when you are alone in an apartment. After all, this poses a certain burden and danger to the body. Therefore, if you don’t have someone nearby, if things get bad, everything could end badly.
- The door should open outward and there should be no locks on it.
- All elements of the sauna must be covered with wood to avoid burns.
If you follow all the precautionary rules and construction standards, then arranging a bathroom or sauna on the balcony will give you the opportunity to enjoy and have a wonderful break from the everyday hustle and bustle.
Consequences of moving the bathroom to the balcony
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If you have already done such a redevelopment, then sooner or later you will have to return everything to its original state, otherwise you will face a very costly and nerve-wracking path of disputes with regulatory and inspection services. If complaints are ignored, you will have to face a case in court. And the court will definitely not be on your side.
Choosing a style
A current trend for several seasons is the choice of Scandinavian style. This design direction combines high-quality finishing materials and decorative coatings.
The 2022 balcony decoration combines natural wood and stone. The walls can be decorated with decorative plaster, beautiful wallpaper or artificial panels that imitate natural stone.
Note!
Living room interior design 2022 - photos of the best ideas for decorating the interior of a modern living room
Bathroom design 2022: examples of beautiful and modern interior design in the bathroom (135 photos)
Small kitchen design 2022: examples of unusual layout and functional zoning of space in the kitchen interior (100 photos)
Some designers prefer to use a minimum of decorations and decorations in this area. In this case, the design direction will be minimalism or hi-tech. Mirror surfaces, clear lines and metallic fittings allow you to create a stylish interior that combines simple shapes and colors.
However, it should be noted that these directions are based on the use of contrasting tones. If the loggia is located on the sunny side, then an alternative would be to use dark shades that will add a bit of coolness. The design on the west side needs to use warm or pastel colors. Light colors help compensate for the lack of light.
