How to insulate a balcony with cold glazing without replacing the glazing

When buying an apartment, we often think about how to insulate a balcony with cold glazing without replacing the glazing. However, the problem is that developers often do not use expensive materials, so the glazing is installed cold, and the balcony itself is not insulated in any way. In this case, the homeowner may want to replace the cold glazing with warm one. This will help eliminate the heat loss that occurs through the window frames. The end result will be significantly improved.

At the same time, it would not be a bad idea to update the existing glazing. Its role is most often played by aluminum frames. This material itself is an excellent heat conductor, so the temperature in the room drops very quickly. Plastic double-glazed windows can also become cold (most often the problem concerns structures with one chamber). This type of glazing can protect against various types of precipitation, wind and dust, but is poorly suited to combat frost. Therefore, to create a comfortable and cozy atmosphere at home, it is extremely important to insulate the cold glazing of a loggia or balcony.

“Cold” aluminum window profile

Often, when glazing a loggia, developers use the so-called “cold” aluminum profile for windows. This is the cheapest option that will not increase the cost of an apartment in a new building. This profile will allow you to glaze the semicircular or complex contour of your loggia.

Expert opinion

Konstantin Alexandrovich

A two- or three-chamber double-glazed window is not intended for installation of aluminum window profile structures. Please note that even a three-chamber design will not reduce heat loss due to freezing of aluminum, which, as already mentioned, has excellent thermal conductivity.

By installing such glazing, the developer prevents possible amateur efforts by owners to insulate balconies and increase energy costs due to increased consumption of heat energy, which is actually spent on heating the street. However, some stubborn apartment owners still want to have “warm” balconies. If they do not have the opportunity to physically insulate the cold aluminum profile on the balcony, they begin to look for other methods and resort to various tricks.

Where is it better to seek help in insulating a balcony?

Before you finally choose a company that will help you insulate your room, carefully study all the available information on their websites. The main advantages of our company:

• the opportunity to receive comprehensive advice from specialists on the possibilities and methods of insulating a balcony with cold glazing.
• carrying out work of any complexity;
• individual approach to choosing the most suitable insulation method;
• use of exclusively modern technologies and high-quality materials;
• providing a quality guarantee for the work performed;
• work of professionals with many years of experience and high qualifications;
• reasonable cost, transparent pricing.

Do-it-yourself insulation

This work should begin with the windows. If you plan to replace them, then it is better to opt for double-glazed windows with an energy-saving effect. If the owner in the near future wants to do without replacing the structures, then all the cracks need to be filled with putty, and a rubber sealant must be attached to the places where the frames are pressed. Next, the sequence of work will be as follows:

• all seams, joints and cracks are sealed using construction foam;
• The floor is insulated. For example, you can make a cement screed with electrical heating. Another option is insulation with mineral wool, on top of which boards will be laid;
• Insulation is installed on the walls and ceiling. To do this, a profile frame is attached on top, after which the distance between the profiles is filled with glass wool. Only after this do they proceed to covering the walls and ceiling with sheets of plasterboard;
• the final stage is finishing work. First, the flooring is laid, after which they move on to finishing the ceiling and walls.

How to insulate seams between frames?

Insulating a balcony without replacing cold glazing should begin with finishing all the seams of the structure, since most of the heat leaves through them and through them cold air enters from the street. In addition, moisture can penetrate through the seams, which negatively affects the condition of the structure as a whole. Because of it, fungus, mold, and other unpleasant phenomena can form. In order to get rid of cracks, you will have to do the following:

• Clean the seams from old paint, plaster, debris and foam. To do this, you can use a spatula whose width is 100 mm.
• Check for empty spaces or gaps. It is convenient to do this in sunny weather.
• The voids are filled with polyurethane foam, less often with cement mortar.
• After the foam has dried, which will take about a day, the excess is cut off and the joints themselves are sealed with a special waterproof tape.
• The seams can be covered with a layer of putty, and plastic strips can be installed. When insulating the side walls, finishing is not required at this stage.

Sealing cracks with construction foam

Cold glazing conversion methods

An aluminum frame with cold single glasses on the balcony will protect your home from rain and snow, from street dirt and dust, but will not save you from cold air in winter. Many apartment owners do not think about whether it is necessary to insulate the balcony. Of course, everyone would like to insulate with cold glazing. This issue can be solved with the help of a large number of ideas from handymen and large window installation companies. The reconstruction involves the insulation of the profile itself and the replacement of glazing.

Is it necessary to insulate the floor on a balcony or loggia?

I think many people are familiar with the situation when, going barefoot onto the balcony, you are faced with a cold floor surface; in winter it is unthinkable to go out onto such a balcony without slippers. Then what kind of warm balcony can we talk about? If you are making a warm balcony/loggia in all senses of the word, insulating the floor is not only worth it, but is mandatory.

In this case, before starting repair work, check the condition of the concrete slab, whether it is damaged and whether it can withstand additional loads from the concrete screed. If this is necessary, strengthen the base, and also choose lightweight modern materials with heat-insulating properties. Additionally, use hydro- and vapor barrier tapes.

Wooden-aluminum windows

The best way to reliably insulate a balcony and adapt it for comfortable use in winter is to install wooden-aluminum windows. They are divided into two types:

• aluminum profile with wood trim placed on the inside of the window;
• wooden frames decorated with aluminum overlays on the street side.

The first option is absolutely not suitable for apartments, since its thermal insulation properties are the same as those of an aluminum window. As for the second option, wooden frames with several layers of double-glazed windows and aluminum trim on the outside not only give the window an unusual style, but also protect the wood from the harmful effects of precipitation.

Is this high-altitude work?

Yes, you might be wondering why the insulation of aluminum balconies is high-altitude work, because the process is entirely carried out from inside the room. This is true, but if you are the owner of a panoramic structure that has already been completely installed, and you decide to conserve heat only a few years later, then it must be completely dismantled. Not many construction teams would dare to remove windows on the sixteenth floor of a high-rise building in the cold, and even with possible strong winds.

In my short story, which I cited a little higher, the situation was exactly such that not every master who does not have experience working at heights will give the go-ahead to carry out such work. And since such a phobia is the most common after the fear of the dark, finding someone with enough courage will not be easy.

Common Mistakes

Cold glazing on the balcony

Typical apartments have a small area, which often makes owners want to show creative construction and increase the space. Sooner or later, the owner of the home gets to the balcony. That’s when the idea of ​​insulating the loggia and thus expanding the living space comes to mind. Of course, you can take such a step, but it is important not to make a number of mistakes that will only bring problems and annoyance. Common mistakes when insulating:

Redevelopment without permission

Each apartment owner has a registration certificate, which describes the housing he owns in black and white and in great detail. In particular, it describes the type of non-residential premises and the materials from which windows and walls are made. During redevelopment, which includes wall insulation, the owner runs the risk of making the apartment unsuitable for sale, because the parameters specified in the passport will not coincide with the real state of affairs. In order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to coordinate future changes with the BTI.

Of course, the owners want the new, enlarged area of ​​the apartment to be warm. The easiest thing, at first glance, is to move an electric heating radiator to the loggia. However, according to the rules, this is strictly prohibited: moving the heating radiator beyond the boundaries of the load-bearing wall is fraught with heat supply accidents. You will never receive permission for such thoughtless actions, and if you go against the system, then such arbitrariness in the future can cost a pretty penny.

A real and legal way out of the situation is electric floor heating. Modern technologies have advanced so far that they make it possible to install safe and high-quality floor heating by installing a special electrical cable. The laying step can be changed depending on the future heating temperature, which will ensure maximum heat transfer. In addition, the water electric heater can be easily replaced with an oil one.

Frameless glazing

This type of glazing seems beautiful and modern, in addition, it takes up a minimum amount of space. However, this solution will turn your balcony into a real freezer. Frost will regularly penetrate into the cracks between the frames, so discard this option immediately. Your option is double glazing only. The salvation in this situation will be plastic windows with hinged sashes. They are easy to care for and not particularly large; in addition, mosquito nets can be inserted into them.

If plastic double-glazed windows are not to your taste, pay attention to the advanced new products - tilt-and-slide windows with thermal insulation.

Remote glazing of a balcony with brackets

You will get another problem if you remove the glazing by 10-20 centimeters. On the canopy, which will certainly cover your glazing from above, piles of snow will accumulate in winter, and in spring and summer rainwater will knock loudly and obnoxiously on it. In addition, external glazing will ruin the attractive appearance.

Single-layer insulation

For some reason, many people believe that for complete insulation it is enough to line the inside of the loggia with one layer of foam blocks. This is fundamentally wrong, because such a wall will freeze completely. It is recommended to add stone wool insulation to this design.

Insulation without vapor barrier

Condensation is the main problem with insulation in a room. Temperature changes between the cold concrete panels and the warm air inside will certainly lead to the appearance of unwanted moisture. And condensation, as you know, brings with it other problems - mold and mildew, which are very difficult to get rid of. You can get rid of them by installing a vapor barrier. To do this, you need to cover the walls on the balcony or loggia with plastic film or foil. This method is especially relevant if you plan to decorate the walls with mineral wool.

Now there are materials on the market that combine insulation and vapor barrier. One of them is polystyrene foam with film or glassine applied to it. Another material is foil penofol.

Application of sealant without a protective layer

Polyurethane foam is an ideal material for sealing seams during insulation. But there is one problem - leaving the sealant in its natural state, you leave it to be torn apart by the sun's rays, which will always be in abundance on the balcony. They will simply destroy it, crumbling it into small pieces. However, this can be avoided by protecting the outside of the material. Excess sagging should be cut off, then sand the surface using sandpaper, and then cover it with any acrylic paint. In this case, putty or construction tape will also work—in short, anything that will protect the sealant from the sun’s deadly rays.

Comparison of insulation materials

Conclusion: using spray polyurethane foam (PPU) is the best option. This material has improved hydro- and noise-insulation properties, and is also fireproof, environmentally friendly and easy to install.

Legal aspect of changing the facade of a building

Any changes made to the enclosing structures of the building's facade (and these include balcony parapets), as well as glazing that does not correspond to the general architectural concept, require permission from local executive authorities.

Relevant regulations have been adopted at the level of each subject of the Federation.

In Moscow, this is Government Decree No. 508 of October 25, 2011 “On the organization of reconstruction and (or) redevelopment of residential and non-residential premises in apartment buildings.” One of the points of this Resolution provides for the mandatory obtaining of permission if “the shape of window and door openings in external enclosing structures changes;).

The procedure for obtaining such permission consists of five successive stages and the approval of about 40 documents.

The cost of services of law firms (in Moscow) providing services for coordinating changes to facades for a full package is about 1,000,000 rubles. There is something to think about.

Tools

To insulate windows you need to prepare :

• 
  spray foam gun;

• putty knife;
• drill and mixing attachment;
• thermal imager;
• building level;
• gun for a sealant bottle;
• putty knife;
• stationery knife;
• construction hair dryer;
• vacuum cleaner or compressor.

Technical characteristics of double-glazed windows

Warm glazing is faced with the task of creating a comfortable microclimate, which directly depends on the technical characteristics of the double-glazed window:

Number of cameras. The more of them, the better the thermal insulation properties the double-glazed window will have, but not indefinitely. For example, 5-6-chamber windows in this indicator are not much different from 3-chamber windows - they are quite sufficient even for the harsh Russian climate. On the other hand, the more chambers, the higher the total weight of the structure, and, therefore, the load on the balcony slab.

Three-chamber double-glazed window

Type of gas pumped into the chambers. The distances between the glasses in budget products are filled with ordinary dry air. More expensive models use inert gases (argon, krypton or xenon), which have better thermal insulation properties. The gases are absolutely harmless and do not pose a health hazard even if the glass unit is damaged or depressurized.

Glass thickness. The higher this value and the greater the number of glasses, the better soundproofing properties the double-glazed window has. Again, increasing the number of glasses leads to an increase in overall weight.

Type of glass. To improve the properties of window structures, manufacturers are increasingly using glass with special characteristics:

• Energy saving. They have a layer of film-forming material, applied using different methods, which has the property of reflecting heat from the room and “returning” it to the room.
• Sun protection. The mirror coating reflects ultraviolet rays and prevents their penetration into the room. The use of such products on a balcony with a large glazing surface will protect the walls and furniture from fading.
• Triplex or lamination. Several layers of glass are connected to each other using a film or a special liquid. The technology can significantly improve sound insulation properties, strength, and safety - shards of broken glass do not crumble, but remain on the film.

Pros and cons of frameless designs

The main advantage of these non-standard solutions is primarily the attractive appearance of the balcony. Those apartment owners who want to make an additional room unusual should use frameless aluminum glazing. Photos of loggias with such profiles can be seen below. As you can see, the original designs look really very stylish and modern.

Also, frameless glazing allows you to save maximum space inside the loggia. Another advantage of such structures is that hardened material is used in their assembly. It is almost impossible to break glass by accident. To do this you need to hit it with almost a hammer.

And even if the glass does break for some reason, it will be impossible to cut yourself on it. With a strong impact, the hardened material simply crumbles into squares. There are no sharp protruding fragments left in the openings.

The disadvantages of frameless glazing are as follows:

• good visibility of the interior of the balcony from the street;
• impossibility of securing mosquito nets in summer.

Among other things, frameless glazing, unfortunately, does not provide complete airtightness on the balcony. That is, such structures block noise from the street worse than usual. In addition, it will not be possible to equip a warm balcony when using glazing of this type.

Connection to the premises

Connection with the room Thermal insulation of a stained glass balcony can be done by combining it with the room. This option is optimal, since the loggia space will be part of the general heating system. But there is one drawback - heating costs will increase. In addition, you need to think about preparing documents providing permission (if you live in a new building). This whole process will take six months, so you will have to spend a lot of effort and money.

Before you decide to insulate your balcony, think about this option. This can be done during a major renovation of the premises, planning the overall design in advance.

Is it possible to make a glass, stained glass balcony warm from the inside? More often than not, no. Therefore, the most effective option is to combine it with an adjacent room. In this case, the loggia will be part of the general thermal circuit.