How to make a balcony floor with your own hands - a step-by-step guide for beginners

Before starting repairs on the balcony (loggia), the owner must decide what materials to make the floor on the balcony from, and what exactly he will use to make it. The choice should be made taking into account how the room will be used, whether the balcony will be warm and closed, whether it will have communication with other rooms or whether the partition between the room and the balcony will remain in place. To answer all the questions, let’s look in detail at the three main methods for making your own balcony floor.

Advantages and disadvantages of wooden flooring on the balcony

Wood is a natural material traditionally used in flooring. Its main advantage is its low thermal conductivity. Thanks to this property of wood, wooden floors are very warm and are installed where it is not possible to heat the surface in any other way, for example, with a “warm floor” system.

Other benefits of wooden floors:

• Aesthetics - combines with almost any interior;
• Wood is easy to process (cutting, fastening);
• Environmental friendliness - completely natural material;
• Strength. Some types of wood, such as beech, oak, and larch, can last for several decades without changing their texture.

Wood also has many disadvantages. For example, it is highly flammable, rotting, and can be damaged by wood borers. These disadvantages are minimized by the use of special compounds: fire retardants and antiseptics.

Another significant disadvantage of wood is its natural ability to absorb moisture. You can completely get rid of this drawback by varnishing or painting the floor. A protective layer of paint or varnish will also reduce the wear and tear of the floor.

Important. Wooden floors, as a rule, are installed on closed balconies with glazing, and are used in conditions similar to living rooms. In some situations, they can be laid on an open balcony, but in this case the wood requires more careful care.

Preparatory activities

At the preparation stage you need:

1. Remove furniture, flowers and other household items from the balcony.
2. Remove the old coating and clean the base, remove pieces of broken screed.
3. Remove dust and then prime the floor.
4. Fill the cracks with cement mortar, and then re-spray the surface with an antibacterial primer.

Thermal insulation

To protect a room with installed frames from freezing, use:

• sheets of polystyrene foam, resistant to water, but classified as flammable materials;
• mineral wool, which actively absorbs moisture and requires preliminary waterproofing of the balcony;
• Rolled penofol insulation with foil backing.

To prevent condensation, it is necessary to carry out waterproofing work.

Waterproofing

To protect a glazed balcony from condensation, use:

• deep penetration primers that create a protective film on concrete;
• bitumen or rubber mastics;
• roll materials on an adhesive basis;
• special plasters.

Preparing the base for wood flooring

Although the balcony slab will be covered with wooden flooring, it must be put in order. If the cement screed is cracked and barely holds on to the base, it should be completely dismantled and a new one poured. The slab is freed from the old mortar and thoroughly cleaned. Next is waterproofing and pouring the screed.

How to make a cement screed on a balcony:

• The joint between the slab and the wall of the house is covered with waterproofing mastic. In this case, a strip of about 40 cm wide along the wall is coated with a waterproof compound and an approach is made to the wall to a height of 10 cm;
• Temporary formwork with a height of about 10 cm is installed around the perimeter of the slab. It will prevent the solution from draining;
• Two parallel slats (beacons) are installed along the length of the balcony slab. They are set in a horizontal plane using a building level;

• Cement mortar is poured between the beacons and leveled with a level lath, the ends of which rest on the beacons;
• If there are recesses in the body of the screed, mortar is added to them and leveled again;
• The lighthouse slats are removed from the screed the next day, when the solution has not yet completely set. The remaining recesses are sealed with fresh mortar;
• Using a wide spatula, possible mortar deposits and bumps are removed from the screed;
• The screed is left until completely dry (1-2 weeks, depending on the thickness of the layer and air humidity).

New screed
If the floor on the balcony is still strong and does not need major repairs, simply clean it, seal the cracks with mortar, correct other defects, and immediately begin installing the plank floor.

There are two technologies for installing a wooden floor: on logs and on a concrete base. The first of them is used more often, but in certain conditions the wooden flooring is laid directly on the cement screed.

List of required tools

To carry out repairs you will need:

• tools for removing old coating and preparing the surface for leveling;
• devices for installation of protective materials and wooden formwork;
• equipment for installing finishing;
• finishing equipment.

The list of tools depends on the chosen finish; the master independently determines their list. For example, to lay tiles you will need to apply mortar and adjust the gap between the elements. To install the laminate, you will need a special kit that allows you to carefully install the final row of panels.

Plank flooring

Floorboard is the most acceptable material used as a covering for a wooden floor. It is made with locking fasteners cut out on the edges, so it can be easily adjusted during installation. Before laying, the board (just like timber) is hidden with an antiseptic, and especially careful treatment is carried out on the underside and on the ends, which will subsequently be inaccessible for maintenance.

Installation of boards using wood screws

Installation of floorboards on joists:

• The first board is laid with a groove against the wall, 1 cm away from it;
• The tenon of the next board is inserted into the groove of the first, and both elements are pressed tightly against each other, after which their fit is slightly weakened;
• The subsequent boards are laid in the same way;
• The last element is cut to size and mounted in place;
• If the floorboard is assembled from two pieces, the joint should be in the middle of the joist;
• All boards are nailed to the joists or screwed with self-tapping screws. Precast floorboards are also nailed to the joists at the joints. You should make sure that the heads of the fasteners are sunk into the wood, otherwise they will interfere when cleaning the floor, and shoes will get caught on them;
• A wooden plinth is installed along the entire perimeter of the floor, which will close the gap left for the thermal expansion of the wood. Since the room is small, it is also better to make the baseboard low.

Characteristics of ceiling plinths ↑

Polyurethane skirting boards

Heat resistance : high (-60/+80ºС).

Wear resistance : high.

Flexibility : extremely high.

Foam skirting boards

Heat resistance : average (-30/+50ºС).

Wear resistance : average.

Flexibility : practically none.

These are exactly the three reasons why you can choose a more expensive analogue. Speaking about the repair of balconies, we can say that all three parameters are significant for the home craftsman: even with careful insulation, the installation of polyurethane ceiling skirting boards is designed for much higher fluctuations in temperatures and environmental conditions. The longer it will last.

When choosing a skirting board, you should also pay great attention to the manufacturer: different companies supply completely different materials to the market. Among them, there are several fairly large brands on the market, whose products would be worth considering below.

Do you know how to calculate the rafter system for a pitched roof on a top floor balcony? How then, based on the calculations obtained, choose a material and make a similar roof? Read our article and you will not have any questions on the topic.

You can read about how to insulate a balcony yourself at this address. Read the detailed instructions presented in one of our articles.

Finishing of floorboards

Wood is a fairly soft material, so it wears out easily. In order for the floor to last long enough, it should be covered with varnish or coloring compounds. The paint coating will reduce the ability of wood to absorb moisture, and this in turn will prevent it from swelling and the formation of rot.

Finish floor covering

To finish wooden floors, paint and varnish compositions intended for outdoor use are used. If the boards are well sanded and have a beautiful texture, it is better to coat them with a tinting varnish that penetrates deeply into the structure of the wood. Floor painting is used in cases where new boards of different sizes are not used for flooring. A solid coat of paint will hide unevenness in the wood texture.

Manufacturers ↑

Gaudi Decor

Pleasant Mediterranean design fits perfectly into the light design of the balcony, allowing you to prolong the elusive effect of acquaintance with the architecture of the Renaissance. Vines, plants, heraldic elements, decorative battlements of fortress walls - all these elements are one way or another present in Gaudi Decor ceiling plinths with ornaments. Unfortunately, the selection of cornices with a smooth profile is poorer than that of competitors, but there is also something to look at. Also in the wide range you can find various elements of polyurethane stucco molding. This manufacturer is widely represented on our market.

Decomaster

A wide range of both smooth skirting boards and skirting boards with ornaments. Ornaments suitable for any style - from Gothic to modern abstraction. Less concentration on one era, a broader sense of style ─ in contrast to Gaudi Décor.

Includes two divisions: OracLuxxus and OracAxxent. The second is exclusively engaged in the production of skirting boards from duropolymers, so it is not related to the topic under consideration. Orac Luxxus positions itself as a company engaged in the production of luxury building materials. More massive models of ceiling plinths decorated with ornaments; among other services ─ installation of ceiling plinth made of polyurethane , ─ accordingly, the models themselves are one and a half to two times more expensive. If your balcony should become a monumental masterpiece of design art, this company is for you.

Europlast

One of the few companies offering hidden lighting baseboards based on LED technology. There are enough models with a smooth profile in the assortment, as for cornices with ornaments, there are not so many of them; their design leans towards the classics: a simple, unpretentious pattern, clear lines. Some models have an antique style. To decorate a balcony like Attica or something very modern, you can choose this manufacturer.

Wood flooring

Although floorboards have many advantages, they are not always suitable for balcony design. For example, if the balcony is attached to the room or there is a study in it, made in modern styles, linoleum or carpet is more suitable for finishing the floor. In this case, it is better to use solid wood boards for laying the subfloor: OSB, chipboard, plywood.

Plywood subfloor

The logs are installed in the same order as for plank flooring. The only difference is that the step between the transverse bars is 40 cm. The cut slabs are laid on logs with a minimum temperature gap (1-2 mm) and nailed (if it is plywood) or screwed with self-tapping screws (OSB, chipboard). The joints of the slabs should rest on the joists, and not hang from them, otherwise the edges of the slabs will sag under mechanical load. After applying a protective layer of drying oil, the floor covering is laid on the wood-based flooring.

Advice. The slabs should be cut in such a way that there are as few joints as possible on the floor surface.

Choosing flooring for a balcony

If the balcony is glazed, it is dry and warm - any floor covering will suit it. If there is no glazing, the choice of material will not be so great.

For an open-type balcony, it is much easier to make a concrete screed by painting it with high-quality paint for exterior use that is resistant to adverse weather conditions. It will look good in appearance, especially if you choose the right color palette.

Painting is done in the most ordinary way. The base is primed, then paint and varnish material is applied in several layers. This coating will look good for a long time, despite the fact that snow falls on it or rain pours on it.

It is best to use a short-nap paint roller to paint the floor.

Tile

Laying tiles is advisable not only for glazed balconies, but also for cold ones. As for the choice of tiles, for a balcony they usually buy tiles with a texture that is rough to the touch.

Advice! If the balcony will be used as a living space, it is recommended to equip it with a heated floor system.

The heated floor system will create additional comfort on the balcony

• If you decide to lay the tiles yourself, first of all you need to prepare the floor. It should be even; how to make a screed was discussed above. After final drying, the entire surface should be primed; if after this it still quickly absorbs moisture, the procedure must be repeated again.

Despite the fact that the solution spreads evenly, it must be rolled with a special roller with spikes. After the floor has completely dried, markings are made on it. Each specialist has his own marking technique, but one thing is important for everyone:

1. First, the tiles are laid dry on the floor, starting from a reference line separating the third, sometimes fourth part of the floor from the entrance;
2. Each square of tile is customized according to the pattern and also the size. To ensure that the thickness of the seam is the same, special crosses are placed between them, the sizes of which vary from one to six millimeters. After laying the tiles, this space is filled with a mixture for sealing joints using a special spatula made of hard rubber;

Advice! After tiling a small area, experts strongly recommend rolling the floor with a heavy roller (weighing 15-18 kilograms).

For concrete bases under tiles, a cement-based adhesive should be used.

Linoleum

Modern types of linoleum, both natural and artificial (PVC), have many advantages, and therefore successfully compete with other floor coverings.

• When the task is to choose linoleum for the balcony , the first thing you need to pay attention to is the very specifics of this room. Thus, the floor covering must withstand significant operational loads, while linoleum should not cause problems in maintenance, and its appearance should not be disharmonious with the overall design of the space.

Taking into account all these requirements, it is better to choose natural linoleum, since its service life is much longer than that of PVC coating (up to 35 years as opposed to 5-10 years for PVC).

Modern types of linoleum can be waterproof and frost-resistant, so this material feels great on balconies and loggias

In terms of quality indicators, both natural and PVC linoleum for balconies are almost the same; there may be differences, but they are not so significant. But the price of these two types can vary greatly, which should also be taken into account when choosing.

Collector system

The collector is a distribution unit consisting of two combs with a pump. It supplies hot water through pipes and regulates the entire system. The installation is carried out in a special collector cabinet. If possible, then into a hollowed-out niche on the balcony. It is recommended to place the cabinet in a place where the supply and return pipes can easily enter.

Collectors are:

• Electronic. Specially programmed for a specific temperature in the system.
• Mechanical. The temperature is controlled manually.

Boiler selection

Before purchasing a boiler, you should calculate the power. It must cope with the system load and have additional power reserves. Therefore, the boiler power should be equal to the power of the underfloor heating plus 10-15%.

When carrying out any additional work, in order not to drain liquid from the system, the boilers have shut-off valves.

Fastening methods

Despite the apparent simplicity of installing skirting boards, there are several different methods, or rather 3:

Using nails and screws; Using a special fastening; Using glue and liquid nails.

It’s up to you to decide how to fasten it and with what, but before you start, watch the video instructions or read the oral instructions.

Important: “When choosing the best option, keep in mind that the second and third methods do not imply repeated removal and installation of the baseboard.”

Instructions for fixing skirting boards

Every person knows what a plinth is, but not everyone knows how to attach it. In the process you will have to cut, glue, drill, measure and much more. To begin with, it would be good to understand what skirting boards are needed for. In fact, they are intended not so much to give the room an aesthetic appearance, but to hide all the roughness of the repairs carried out.

The decorative strip will hide from your eyes such small jambs as:

Unevenly glued wallpaper; Gap between the floor and the wall; Cable.

The most common types are plastic and wooden planks, so these are the ones we will talk about.

Photo 1. Plastic strip

Common mistakes

Insulating walls from the inside is a very important technological process that has no room for error.

If the insulation was carried out incorrectly, then condensation will form on the walls of the loggia (the so-called “crying walls” effect). This is explained quite simply: upon contact with a cold wall, warm air condenses. If too much moisture accumulates, the thermal insulation material will begin to lose its properties, and fungus will appear on the surface, gradually destroying the structure.

If the loggia periodically leaks, then all seams between the panels should be carefully sealed.