Do-it-yourself insulation of the balcony floor with polystyrene foam: video technology

Having a balcony in an apartment is an excellent opportunity to put this extra space to good use. Agree that turning your balcony into a smoking room or storage of unnecessary rubbish in a small apartment is wasteful. Therefore, recently there has been a growing trend of using this space as a relaxation area, winter garden or addition to the kitchen. But in order to carry out high-quality repairs of the balcony, you first need to take care of its insulation and resistance to various weather conditions. The most labor-intensive and expensive stage in this matter is the thermal insulation of the floor. Is it possible to carry out this work independently, saving on the services of a construction team? The answer is yes! Below you will find a complete guide on how to insulate a balcony floor with your own hands.

Choosing the right material

Since the balcony is an external structure, according to SNiP it has certain restrictions on weight load. This applies not only to the furniture located on it, but also to the materials used in finishing. Therefore, the main criteria when choosing insulation are light weight and ease of use.

If you have a loggia in your apartment, then for its renovation you can choose materials of any weight, but do not forget about their waterproofing and fireproof properties.

What materials are suitable for insulating the floor on the balcony?

How to insulate a balcony floor with penoplex

Extruded polystyrene foam, produced under the Penoplex brand, is a modern insulation material that has many advantages and is in demand among consumers.
Let's look in this article at the technology of floor insulation with Penoplex with our own hands and the necessary requirements for proper installation.

Advantages of insulation

Low thermal conductivity. This is the main indicator that you should pay attention to when choosing insulation. It is thermal conductivity that determines the amount of material required to maintain the desired temperature level in the room, and, consequently, the amount of costs for repair work.
Moisture resistance. When moisture penetrates into the insulation, the thermal insulation properties of the latter are significantly reduced. The material is absolutely impervious to moisture and steam, excluding the formation of condensation.
High compressive strength. For insulation laid on the floor, this indicator is especially important, because the floor covering is constantly under pressure.
Durability. Service life – up to 50 years! During this period, the material does not lose its properties and does not deform.
Environmental friendliness. The material does not contain formaldehyde, slag, soot, dust and small fibers; Freon is not used in its production.
Easy to install. You can lay the insulation yourself, saving the budget for other stages of repair, for example, for finishing work.

The disadvantage of Penoplex is usually called its flammability, but when the insulation is located, for example, under a screed, this feature of the material can be ignored.

Requirements for laying Penoplex

It is recommended to work with the material within the temperature range from +5 to +25 degrees. Installation can be carried out in any weather conditions, despite precipitation.

The material does not like the sun's rays, therefore, when insulating buildings externally, Penoplex is always sheathed with plasterboard or hidden under other finishing materials.

For floor insulation, a sheet with a thickness of 40 mm is usually used; for regions with a particularly cold climate, material with a thickness of about 70 mm is used.

If you carry out the installation yourself, pay attention to Penoplex slabs with a tongue-and-groove system - it is much more convenient to work with them. To improve the adhesion of the insulation to the floor surface, the insulation boards are treated with emery.

The use of polyurethane foam containing toluene or glue with an organic solvent is not allowed. These substances can damage the insulation.

Mineral wool

This is a material made from fiberglass or basalt threads. Its advantages:

low thermal conductivity;
low mass and density;
ability to fill gaps;
low flammability.

Among the disadvantages of mineral wool, one can note poor moisture resistance and the content of components hazardous to human health.

There are three types of mineral wool:

slag;
glass wool;
stone wool.

The last of them is the most optimal and safe for use in residential premises, including for insulating balcony floors. But in any case, when working with this material, you must follow safety precautions and use protective gloves and a mask. The principle of floor insulation with mineral wool can be seen in the following photo.

USEFUL INFORMATION: Fire protection of a balcony: selection of materials, wood processing, fire safety rules

Which expanded clay to choose for floor insulation

Expanded clay is considered not only as insulation, it can be used to level surfaces. For example, with expanded clay you can make a warm and smooth screed for the floor in an apartment.

What expanded clay is most suitable for the floor? Based on fraction size, it is divided into three types:

sand,
granules,
gravel.

Each type of material is used in construction work.

Expanded clay sand is the finest of all the listed types, its size is from 0 to 5 mm. Used for thin floor screed.

Expanded clay crushed stone has a size of 10 to 20 mm. Used in the manufacture of expanded clay concrete screeds from 5 cm. Also for insulating floors using the backfill method.

Expanded clay gravel is a porous material with dimensions up to 40 mm. The most popular and used for bulk filling of wooden floors (rough). Ideal for insulating the space between the foundation and the floor.

The use of expanded clay as a heat insulator

The process of insulating a floor with expanded clay is simple; anyone can do it, even without the skills and experience in construction. The main thing is to follow the recommendations for a specific case.

It is possible to insulate floors in various ways. This can be a concrete screed or plank flooring on the ground. Expanded clay can be poured dry or mixed with cement.

Expanded clay insulates apartments on the first floor, under which there are basements, especially well. In addition, the material is used to insulate balconies using the dry method or air-concrete screed.

Insulating the balcony floor with expanded clay

Arranging a balcony or loggia is easy to do by using expanded clay backfill. The main technological measures are similar to the insulation of floors in an apartment. But there are small nuances. The balcony slab initially has a slope to drain melt and rain water, so before insulating the floor with expanded clay, it is very important to straighten the surface with a concrete screed.

To insulate wooden floors, a dry screed is suitable; you just throw in expanded clay. In this case, unevenness and differences in the plane are removed in advance. If cement mortar is used, it will eliminate all defects and unevenness of the floor.

Placing beacons when insulating a balcony is often used. Metal structures are fixed along or across the balcony and divide it into separate zones, which are subsequently covered with expanded clay.

The main filling of the material is a simple step. The main thing is to make sure that the layer does not reach the height of the beacons. If you plan to use a wooden floor, you need to make a sheathing with cells that are filled with expanded clay.

In the case of a concrete floor, after backfilling, cement laitance is prepared and poured over the insulation.

The final stage of insulating the floor with expanded clay on the balcony is a high-quality concrete screed. It is this that serves as the arrangement of the surface plane. The layer thickness must be at least 5 cm.

If all activities are carried out correctly, you can immediately feel a positive result. The floor will become warm and will delight its owners!

Source: skb21.ru/lenta/articles/uteplenie-pola-keramzitom/

Penoplex

Penoplex has similar properties to polystyrene foam, but its qualities are slightly better: a denser structure, increased thermal insulation properties and the absence of chemical reactions with other materials. A significant advantage of insulating a balcony with penoplex is also that this material does not support combustion due to the presence of fire retardants in its composition (this only applies to the variety whose marking contains the letter C).

No. 5. Foam glass

For loggias and balconies, the number of possible insulation materials is greatly reduced due to specific conditions. We have to refuse, for example, ecowool, but foam glass can be used. In terms of its composition, the material is ordinary silicate glass, but the production method allows it to add unique properties. Glass waste is crushed into powder, melted, and due to the action of a gas-forming agent in the form of coke or coal, the mass increases tens of times and acquires a porous structure. Not only is this material much lighter than glass, but it also has many other advantages :

good heat and sound insulation properties. A 10 cm thick slab reduces noise levels by 56 dB;
durability. The material can retain all its basic properties for 100 years;
tolerates cold and heat, temperature changes well, does not change geometric dimensions;
does not burn, because it is based on glass, which melts at a temperature of 10000C and does not ignite;
strength;
the material is not afraid of water, but allows air to pass through.

Due to its high cost, foam glass is not so often used for insulating residential buildings and, especially, loggias and balconies. In terms of its overall performance qualities, it is an ideal insulation material.

Penofol

Penofol is a foil insulation based on polyethylene foam. Pros of penofol:

excellent moisture resistance;
little weight;
flexibility;
sound insulation property.

The downside is low thermal insulation, as a result of which it is necessary to insulate the balcony with penofol together with other insulation, for example, polystyrene foam.

Installation of vapor barrier

Vapor barrier serves to eliminate the occurrence of condensation and ensure optimal parameters for the moisture content of the insulation. For these purposes, foil film is used, the thickness of which is 200 microns. It is glued with the reflective side to the polystyrene foam board. Foil tape is glued along the joints.

Balcony insulation with extruded polystyrene foam

Expanded clay

Recently, expanded clay has rarely been used to insulate balconies, but this material has significant advantages over the latest insulation materials. Among them, it is worth noting absolute non-flammability and environmental friendliness. But you need to be careful when using it on the balcony floor because of its high density.

The following photo was taken after completing the expanded clay screed on the balcony.

Types of insulation

On balconies, the best insulation for flooring is 2 things. The first is polystyrene foam. In the form of Penoplex, Techno Nicole, Ursa. These are the same product under different names. The second thing is mineral wool of varying densities, also called stone wool.

Foam insulation is also used.

But you can only consider it to save money. It's worse to work with him. Polystyrene foam cannot be stepped on (it does not support weight and is pressed through) unlike extruded polystyrene foam. And the polystyrene foam falls into balls over the years.

Some guys use penofol. This insulation on the balcony is completely unnecessary, sometimes harmful to the floor. We have written about it in detail below, under the heading: unsuitable insulation.

Preparatory work

Before insulating the balcony, you need to make sure that all structures are in good condition, not destroyed and are not separated from the wall of the house. This is important, since a large load during construction work and further use of the balcony can lead to its collapse.

The permissible load on the balcony ceiling is 200 kilograms per square meter.

Insulating the floor on a balcony with your own hands is a simple process if the right materials are selected and all preparatory work is completed.

USEFUL INFORMATION: We repair the balcony with our own hands

Then you need to assess the condition of the floor. Mold, large gaps and unevenness in the concrete base can significantly reduce the quality of the work performed. To bring the balcony into proper condition, you must:

Dismantle the flooring - linoleum, tiles, boards. If the concrete floor screed is significantly damaged, it must be completely removed.
After assessing the condition of structures and floors, they are strengthened if necessary. Joints and cracks are sealed with building mixtures, and gaps and cracks are foamed. You can also seal the cracks with sealing tape.

Strengthening the balcony slab can be done using channels.

After this work, the floor is cleared of remaining debris, dust and dirt.

The photo shows the strengthening of the balcony structure using a channel.

Foam thickness for balcony insulation

An equally important parameter for insulation is thickness. Even an inexperienced person understands that the thicker the polystyrene foam is laid on the balcony, the warmer it will be. However, excess thickness from the inside is also unacceptable, because useful space is stolen.

The effectiveness of insulation depends on the thickness of polystyrene foam

First of all, the choice of thickness depends on the climatic conditions of the region. Most often, 5 cm is enough. On the inside, it is customary to use sheets 4 cm thick. If this is not enough, then the walls are additionally insulated from the outside. There are no restrictions on the parameter here. The sheets are attached with a thickness of 5-10 cm. When it is not possible to insulate the outside, the internal usable space is sacrificed.

Waterproofing

The next step before insulation is to ensure the room is protected from moisture. This is necessary to ensure that fungi and mold do not multiply under the insulation, and that the thermal insulation does not deteriorate under the influence of weather conditions.

Step-by-step instructions for waterproofing the floor on the balcony:

A dry and clean floor is treated with a primer and then dried again.
A waterproofing membrane or polyethylene film is laid on the treated surface, overlapping the walls by about 10 centimeters, and fixed with a stapler.
Individual pieces of film are laid overlapping, and the joints are connected with tape.

When using waterproofing mastic, the floor is also cleaned, treated with bitumen mastic in two layers, and after it dries, with a special polymer mixture. In the photo you can see the process of waterproofing the floor on the balcony.

Insulation instructions

The most common method of insulating the floor on a loggia or balcony is using lathing, in which the frame beam simultaneously serves as a log. Using wood as a foundation for a floor allows you to:

save on building materials - they cost less and require less;
quickly assemble the sheathing, insulate it, and then lay the floor;
lay cables and utilities under the floor covering;
adjust the floor height;
get a solid foundation for the floor;
simplify repair work.

Step-by-step instructions consist of several sections:

Preparation of material.
Marking.
Lag fastening.
Floor insulation.

I. Preparation of material

At the first stage, you need to perform the following operations:

measure the difference in height between the balcony slab and the floor in the room to determine the width of the timber or boards - the floor on the balcony should not be higher than the flooring in the adjacent room;
check the horizontal level of the floor base (in the loggia the slab is almost always laid horizontally, on the balcony with a slope away from the wall). The operation is needed to determine the method of attaching the joists to the concrete floor: with self-tapping screws (on a flat surface), using studs or pads, a U-shaped profile, etc. (on an inclined plate);
Having received the first measurement results, the height of the sheathing is calculated: the thickness is subtracted from the value obtained during the first measurement:

flooring;
backing or glue;
sheets of plywood or OSB with which the sheathing is laid.

Attention: if the floor is wooden, then only the thickness of the floorboard is deducted.

The remaining height is the width of the joist. However, due to studs or brackets, the size of the beam can be reduced.

Considering the size of modern balconies and loggias, in practice 3 rows of joists are laid: one each near the wall and the outside of the balcony, as well as in the middle. Taking this into account, the amount of material purchased is determined. It is mandatory to add cross members to the estimated length of the beam. On the balcony there can be at least two (in the middle), maximum six (near the walls and in the middle). In a loggia, the number of cross members is dictated by the length of the insulation, which dictates the pitch of the cross beam.

After purchasing the wood, it is cut to size. It should be remembered that along the entire perimeter between the wall and the beam there should be a distance of 5-7 cm. Therefore, the log should be 10-14 cm shorter than the length of the balcony or loggia.

After this, the final operations are performed:

the wood is treated with an antiseptic - this way the timber is protected from rot, fungus and mold;

natural drying of the lag is carried out.

II. Marking

Markings made with a pencil, chalk or marker help eliminate problems that arise during the assembly of the sheathing. It is performed in several steps.

Step 1. At a distance of 5-7 cm from the wall, a line for the longitudinal joists is drawn. You can mark the line using a laser level, a rule or a beam.
Step 2. Find the line of passage of the central beam.
Step 3. The location of the frame crossbars is determined.
Step 4. Mark the places where the racks are attached. The step between them in the longitudinal logs is 50-60 cm. The distance from the edge of the block is 5-10 cm (so that the ends do not sag). Under the crossbars you need one stand, exactly in the middle of the block.
Step 5. On the previously made marks for the location of the racks, the places for drilling the concrete floor for the self-tapping dowels are marked.

III.Attaching the joists

Attaching the sheathing elements to the concrete base can be done in several ways.

Method 1. To fasten the logs, metal U-shaped elements are used. With their crossbar, they are attached with self-tapping dowels or anchors to the concrete floor slab, after which the logs are screwed to the legs (4 self-tapping screws, two on each side). Here it is necessary to constantly monitor the horizon using a level.

The technology changes slightly if glass wool is used for insulation: first, insulation is carried out - the mat is placed directly on the metal racks, after which the timber is attached.

Method 2. The second fastening option is studs. The work algorithm is as follows:

The joists are laid on the edge of the line marked on the base of the floor. With a step of 50-60 cm and a distance from the edge of 5-7 cm, holes with a diameter 2-3 mm larger than the stud are drilled in the timber. Drilling is carried out until there are no marks left in the concrete;
the timber is removed;
According to the marks in the ceiling, holes are drilled for anchors with internal threads for studs;

Attention: the editors of the StroyGuru.Com portal advise buying studs with a heel that is attached to the floor with self-tapping screws, which greatly simplifies the work (see photo).

anchors are driven into the holes;
the studs are screwed in, after which a nut with a washer is screwed onto them - the joists will be laid on it;
a countersunk hole is drilled on top of the beam for a washer with a nut;
the beam is put on the studs, after which it is brought into an ideal horizontal position using a wrench (the lower nut is twisted up and down);
The top of the joist is secured with a nut (the fastening diagram is shown in the photo below);

the protruding ends of the studs are cut flush with a grinder.

Method 3. If the floor surface is flat, the racks can be made from the same timber that is used for the joists. The step is the same as the two methods above. A vertical block is attached to the base of the floor with two metal corners on opposite sides, and with a sheathing beam or a metal strip on the sides, or with a corner at the bottom, or with a long self-tapping screw on top, through the joist.

A typical mistake when attaching joists: there is no gap with the wall.

Some experts suggest attaching the side slats to the wall, losing sight of the point that with changes in temperature and humidity, the entire system with such fastening can simply deform and send the floor into waves - the tree simply has nowhere to expand and it will begin to curl.

Method 4. One of the simplest ways to lay joists is to use double, or rather, two-layer sheathing. The bottom is laid with transverse beams in increments of 55-60 cm and a distance from the wall along the perimeter of 5-7 cm. In this case, the bottom and top rows can be made of materials of different sizes. The bottom row is attached to the concrete either using a corner or through the top with self-tapping screws. The top row is secured with self-tapping screws.

There is one important nuance here: the vast majority of specialists use this option only with a very flat base, explaining this by the fact that uneven floors will be transferred to the floor covering. The experience of the StroyGuru website employees shows that the problem is easily solved with the help of construction wedges. Using them, you can derive an ideal plane (see photo). The top row is attached to the bottom row with self-tapping screws through placed wedges.

Method 5. If there is a small difference in the height difference between the concrete of the loggia and the floor in the room, use thin insulation and wide boards 50-60 mm thick. The boards are laid flat on the base of the floor and in most cases are not attached to the ceiling in any way - the large rough surface adheres well to the concrete. Plus, sheets of plywood or OSB will add additional rigidity to the structure.

Without sheathing

You can refuse lathing on the balcony only under one condition: expanded clay insulation. All other options, such as “floating screed” or “floating floor” are not suitable for one simple reason: the balcony ceiling may not withstand the weight of the cement-sand mortar.

Work is carried out in the following sequence:

A polyethylene film is laid over the waterproofing, covering all walls;
polyethylene is attached to the wall with double-sided tape;
At the floor level, a damper tape is attached around the perimeter of the walls (it is not needed in only one case: if the floor is made of ceramic tiles), which will dampen changes in the linear dimensions of the floor covering due to changes in temperature and humidity;

A line along which the expanded clay will be leveled is drawn on the wall with a marker using a laser or water level on the film. You can see how to correctly apply markings on our website in the work “How to check the floor level in an apartment yourself?”;
Expanded clay is poured onto the film from the far wall, just above the markings;
the insulation is leveled;
small squares of plywood, OSB or plasterboard are laid on the leveled areas, which can be stepped on;

Gypsum fiber sheets (GVL) with special locks for glue or “liquid nails” are laid on top of the poured layer of expanded clay.

Any type of flooring can be laid on this flooring: from inexpensive linoleum to the most prestigious parquet or cork flooring.

IV. Floor insulation

We put insulation into the formed cells in the sheathing. To do this, we perform the following operations:

We make a template from cardboard for each window between the joists. In this case, we increase the size by 1-1.5 cm;
Using cardboard, we cut the insulation;
We install the resulting insulation boards between the joists. In this case, the heat-insulating material must fit tightly between the beams;
in the second pass we lay the insulation under the joists if they are raised high enough;
all gaps formed are sealed with strips of insulation or polyurethane foam;
the insulation is covered with a vapor-tight membrane.

Finishing work

The process of insulating the floor on the balcony is completed by installing the floor covering. If it is a wooden floor, then the boards are laid directly over the joists. If there are other types of flooring, then plywood or OSB is laid over the sheathing. In this case, the edges of the flooring sheets, firstly, must deviate from the walls by 1-2 cm, and secondly, in the middle of the balcony or loggia must lie on a crossbar, which must be taken into account when cutting the material to size. The rough flooring is attached to the joists with self-tapping screws in increments of 50-60 cm.

The choice of flooring is not limited in any way and depends on the finances and preferences of the owners.

Stage No. 2. Installing a log system

The bars are pre-treated with an antiseptic. Then they need to be cut to the width of the floor and installed on the insulation, the outermost ones against the walls, the next ones at a distance of about 50 centimeters.

USEFUL INFORMATION: How to make a floor screed on a balcony with your own hands

[smartcontrol_youtube_shortcode key=”installation of logs on the balcony” cnt=”2" col=”2" shls=”true”]

All beams are installed at the same height, which is controlled by the building level, and then secured with self-tapping screws in several places.

Preparing the loggia for insulation with polystyrene foam

A loggia differs from a balcony in that it is closed with glazing. If this is the option in the apartment, then insulation will cost less. The balcony has a floor, a ceiling and an enclosure. It is pointless to insulate it without glazing. The preparation will involve the fact that you first need to turn the balcony into a loggia.

However, there is one more option to consider. If the loggia is in an old high-rise building, and the glazing is made of wooden frames that have rotted after many years of use, then it is no different from a balcony. Everything will have to be dismantled and energy-saving double-glazed windows installed.

Sealing cracks is an important preparation step

Important! During repair work, all furnishings are removed from the loggia.

The next stage of preparation is eliminating defects. If the walls or balcony slabs have cracks, they need to be repaired. Otherwise, the base under the foam will further deteriorate, because the cracks form cold bridges where condensation accumulates. You can get to the cracks only after removing all the old finish. Clean everything: flooring, wall cladding, ceiling. Bare concrete and masonry should remain if the blank walls are brick.

All detected cracks are slightly expanded with a trowel and the dust is completely removed. The concrete and brick base is treated with an antiseptic against fungus. Small cracks are puttied, and deep cracks are filled with foam. After polymerization, its excess is cut off with a knife. When all the cracks have been repaired, the surface of the walls and balcony slabs is coated with a deep penetration primer. Let it dry for a day.

The last stage of preparation is the most important. Before insulation, all balcony elements are covered with waterproofing. If you use a membrane, then when laying it on the floor, its edges are folded over the walls about 15 cm. The best option is considered to be treated with bitumen mastic. Waterproofing is easier and faster.

Advice! If the loggia is provided with electrical wiring, sockets, switches, and other communications, this is all arranged during the preparatory work.

↑ Leveling the bars

This procedure takes a lot of time for novice builders. Leveling bars is not a difficult task if you have a modern laser level. How it's done?

Mark a point in any convenient corner at eye level. Focusing on it, we will set the horizon line. If you have a laser level, the problem is solved instantly: using a special attachment to this point, we hang a device that will show the horizontal points in all corners.
If there is no laser level, the problem can be solved in a proven old-fashioned way. For this method you will need a clear hose, plain water and an assistant. We fill the hose with water, but not to the very end. Let us recall the well-known law of physics, which states that water in communicating vessels remains at the same level.
Place one end of the water-filled hose at the previously marked point. An assistant takes the other end and places it in the opposite corner to a point selected by eye. When the water level at the first end of the hose coincides with the initially selected point, boldly mark in the opposite corner the point that coincides with the water level at the second end of the hose.
In the same way we mark the next two points of opposite corners. A slight error may occur if there are air bubbles in the hose, but this can be easily eliminated. We proceed as follows: insert one end of the hose into a bottle of water, and draw in air from the other end. The homemade hydraulic level will fill with water.
Why do you need to set lags by level? The fact is that the floor surface is not always perfectly flat, so you need to recreate it yourself. We will take the marks placed at all corners of the balcony as the initial horizontal level.
Next, mark the highest point with a pencil and mark the thickness of the joist up from it (for example, 50 mm). We measure the distance from the last resulting point to the horizon point marked in the corner. We mark the resulting distance down from each point at the corners. Let's connect all the dots.
We nail the logs with dowels along the entire resulting perimeter.

First priority

Before you start insulating the balcony, you should glaze it. Why is glazing important? Old or low-quality windows will produce colossal heat losses, so it makes no sense to insulate the balcony if the windows will blow out. It is better to entrust the installation of windows to professionals who will carry out the installation using modern technologies.

After installing the windows, you should decide where it is best to install insulation. Of course, it is recommended to insulate the outer walls of the balcony, which will prevent the development of problems such as moisture settling on the walls and the appearance of fungal mold. But insulating a balcony if it is at a high altitude is not easy. To do this, you will need to call steeplejacks-builders, who will ask for a considerable amount of money for the services. And one more important point - in order to insulate a balcony from the outside, you will need approval from the authorities, since by your actions you plan to change the design of the facade of a residential building.

As a result, the last option remains - to insulate the balcony from the inside. Moreover, such work can be done independently if you have the necessary tools. Many apartment owners do not want to pay a lot of money for balcony insulation, so in order to save money, they decide to insulate the balcony themselves. This article will tell you how to insulate a balcony yourself, what material to choose for this, and what are the main steps to complete the work.

Comparison of thermal insulation materials

The table below gives a comparative description of popular heat-insulating materials. A meter-thick brick wall was taken as a standard for comparison: in the climatic conditions of the central zone of the Russian Federation, this thickness is considered sufficient for high-quality thermal insulation at average (not record!) winter and summer temperatures.

Material name	Layer thickness providing thermal insulation equivalent to 1 m of brickwork, mm	Advantages	Flaws
Wood (timber, board)	380	Environmental friendliness, aesthetic appearance, you can do without finishing, high-quality sound insulation	Combustible, requires sheathing for fastening or leveling walls (floor, ceiling), not resistant to moisture, large thickness and high price
Mineral wool	140	Inexpensive and proven material, good sound dampening, low flammability	Requires sheathing for fastening, has a large thickness, surface finishing is required
Penofol, foil-coated on one side	107	High-quality thermal and sound insulation, resistance to moisture, ease of installation (especially for the self-adhesive version), environmental friendliness	The high price, due to foil when in contact with exposed wiring, can provoke a short circuit. Requires a ventilation gap, cannot be finished with wallpaper or plaster due to the softness of the material
Penofol, foil-coated on both sides
Penofol self-adhesive
Basalt fiber	87	Does not burn, has high sound and heat insulating properties, the slab version is quite easy to install	High price, need for lathing for soft rolled varieties
Fiberglass	85	Inexpensive, with good insulating characteristics	In case of fire, it melts and releases toxic substances; it requires protection in residential areas and during installation.
Styrofoam	83	Good thermal insulation, long service life, very low price, easy installation	Toxicity at high temperatures (depending on manufacturer), low sound absorption coefficient
Extruded polystyrene foam	65	Easy to install, good thermal and sound insulation, moisture resistance	High price, toxicity during combustion and high heat, fire hazard
Penoplex
Penoizol	55	Inexpensive, high-quality insulator, non-flammable, saves space	Requires pouring into prepared cavities, so it is of little use without major restoration of the balcony

In the absence of strict financial restrictions and the desire to carry out all the work independently, mainly slab and roll materials are considered - mineral or basalt fiber, extruded polystyrene, polystyrene foam, penoplex, penofol. Next, the total area of the room and its permissible reduction are taken into account. For small sizes, it is advisable to insulate and sheathe the balcony with minimal loss of space, without installing sheathing or with a small cross-section. Thus, with relatively flat floors, ceilings and walls, we will consider in detail for the walls and ceilings: extruded polystyrene and polystyrene foam for plaster, double-sided foil foam for lathing with subsequent cladding. For the floor, we will accept two options - mineral wool in a lathing for a subfloor made of OSB, followed by laminate flooring, and self-adhesive mats for installation of an electric (cable) heated floor, followed by laying tiles.

We believe that balcony frames have an acceptable coefficient of heat and sound insulation and do not require additional insulation along the contour.