From the author: Hello, dear readers! Today, glazing of balconies and loggias is widely used, from ceiling to floor, which allows their owners to admire the beautiful view outside the window.
Of course, the main problem of such innovations is the question: how to insulate a glass balcony so that it can be used during the cold winter. By rationally using the additional space, you can easily arrange your own workplace or relaxation area on balconies and loggias.
The main source of heat loss is the glass surface, so at the stage of installing and planning insulation on it, you need to immediately think through the design, as well as additional insulation of the floor, walls and ceiling. In our article today we will talk about an integrated approach to solving this issue.
Features of insulation of balconies and loggias
The content of the article:
Is there a difference in the insulation of a glass loggia and a balcony? Despite the external similarity of the designs, in terms of installing insulating components and creating a full-fledged space, there are important differences and nuances:
- the balcony is almost always located on a slab protruding from the main, load-bearing wall of the building. In some cases, a balcony is formed by two slabs, top and bottom. The classic design of the loggia fits into the niche of the facade, opening only one side, and the end walls, ceiling and floor can be adjacent to the living spaces or loggias of other apartments. The difference in thermal insulation characteristics is obvious: the balcony is considered the coldest room and requires great expense and effort to create a comfortable temperature;
- The loggia structure is protected by solid walls, which makes it possible to avoid possible deformations and sagging under additional load in the form of insulating materials and technologies. The surface of the floor on the loggia can be safely leveled with a screed, using heated floors or cable heating.
And yet, the same technologies will be required for insulation.
A little about ventilation
How to make ventilation on the balcony? It all depends on financial capabilities. The best option is a forced supply and exhaust system. The SPVVR fan meets these requirements. In addition to its intended purpose, it heats and filters the incoming air.
Fan SPVVR
In the absence of such a system, ventilation on the loggia can be made independently. This is not a very complicated, but quite effective design.
Homemade hood
Now, on an insulated loggia equipped with fresh air ventilation, we will forget about condensation and high air humidity.
But there is another important issue that cannot be ignored. This is mold on the balcony. How to deal with it and, most importantly, how to eliminate the cause of its appearance.
Glazing
Insulation of a glass balcony and loggia should be carried out in parallel with the installation of glass structures; it involves the use of aluminum frames.
To reduce heat loss, this design can be replaced by a window system that has a thermal bridge in the frame itself (inserts made of materials with lower thermal conductivity are used). This, by the way, allows you to improve sound insulation. Important: it is reasonable to insulate a fully glass balcony using so-called “warm” window systems with a plastic profile.
Choice of insulation
There are a lot of thermal insulation materials and they all have their pros and cons. Let's consider the main options used for insulating balconies.
- Mineral wool is available in rolls and in the form of mats. It provides a fairly high level of thermal insulation. The material is used to insulate all surfaces. Protection from moisture is required, i.e. laying vapor barrier membranes and waterproofing.
- Polyfoam is used for both external and internal insulation. The surface can be finished with plaster, in which case a reinforcing mesh is used. The material does not absorb water, so no special moisture protection is required.
- Penoplex is one of the types of extruded polystyrene. It is distinguished by its high density, which allows it to be used for insulating floors under screed. The only disadvantage compared to polystyrene foam is the high cost.
- Penofol is an insulating material with a foil surface. Thanks to the foil layer, heat is reflected in the direction the coating is directed. It is used exclusively for internal insulation.
Application of “warm” glazing technology
Before you begin insulating a monolithic glass balcony, you need to resolve the issue with the glazing that is already on it.
If it is non-functional and has proven itself poorly - there are obvious defects or the appearance does not suit the concept of the future design - then we dismantle it, clean the window opening and prepare it for subsequent installation work. At the next stage, we install new “warm” frames, followed by the direct installation of double-glazed windows. Please note that the upper part of the glass unit must be inserted into the H-shaped guide, and the lower part must rest on a special rubber profile. The glass is fastened using profiles and then pressed with rubber seals, which will subsequently provide effective sealing and noticeable insulation.
When insulating glass balconies, systems with a profile thickness of at least 70 mm are used. If you are faced with the task of insulating a large panoramic balcony or loggia, then it is not recommended to use multi-chamber double-glazed windows - this is due to the large weight of the structure and the load on the slab. It is preferable to order single-chamber double-glazed windows with a special coating of energy-saving film; the inside of the package will be connected by a “warm” frame, and the space between the glasses will be filled with argon gas.
Flaws
Although there are not as many disadvantages of cold glazing as advantages, they can completely cover all the advantages described above if the balcony is used as a room.
- Poor thermal insulation. If it is -15 outside, then with good insulation of the balcony you can achieve three degrees above zero. If you do this ineptly, then the difference between the temperature outside and inside can be 5 degrees. That is, without proper insulation of such a balcony, at 15 degrees below zero, it will be -10 degrees outside on the balcony, which is also very cold. For comparison, with warm glazing at a temperature of -15 outside it is quite possible to achieve a comfortable +23.
- Low sound insulation. This is because only one glass is installed on the remote object, the thickness of which does not exceed 4 millimeters. And the sliding system does not work to ensure good sealing.
- High probability of icing of the sliding mechanism. As a result, its functionality deteriorates and difficulties may arise in moving/extending the sashes.
Using thermal compensators
When insulating a rather long panoramic balcony, it is recommended to install thermal compensators for glazing every 4 meters. This measure is necessary to protect window structures from deformation. During operation, glass structures may slightly narrow or expand under the influence of external environmental factors, so it is advisable to make gaps of 5 mm.
Source:
How to insulate a glass balcony in a new building: an integrated approach
Since the balcony room is located outside the heated area of the apartment, the only way to preserve and maintain the required temperature regime is to carry out work to insulate the walls, floor and ceiling.
To do this, it is necessary to select the most suitable materials with certain characteristics:
- low thermal conductivity coefficient;
- high mechanical strength.
Wall insulation
Such thermal insulation material as foil polystyrene foam has long shown itself positively.
It is easy to attach to the wall using polyurethane glue and a plastic dowel. The joints of such plates and places of contact with the surface are glued with a special adhesive tape made of aluminum. Next, thicker polystyrene foam is applied, and metal tape is used at the joints for thermal insulation work. Insulation of a glass loggia, namely the inner and side walls of a panoramic balcony, involves the use of two layers of polystyrene foam - a thin foil one and a thicker one. If there is an external wall or a fragment of it, then a third layer of foil polystyrene foam is additionally attached.
It is important to pay special attention to those areas on the balcony and loggia where the insulation is directly adjacent to the frame of the window structure. The most ideal way to eliminate the resulting gaps is to fill them with polyurethane foam and gluing them with metal tape.
Exterior works
For best results, insulation from the outside is necessary. This is a very complex process that is life-threatening and impossible without special equipment and professional skills. Therefore, it is recommended to entrust this matter to specialists. You can insulate the parapet yourself. It has direct contact with the street, so the insulation must be of high quality.
The first step is to waterproof the parapet. A slab of polyethylene or roofing felt is attached to its inner surface. These panels are covered with wooden beams and secured with dowels. It is necessary to take into account the width of the balcony; the thickness of the thermal insulation layer will depend on this.
The next layer is a vapor barrier: plastic with foil glued on top, which will protect against condensation.
Connection to room
Insulating a balcony using this method is optimal, because a non-residential space immediately becomes residential by connecting it both to the total area and to the heating system of the entire apartment. Two significant disadvantages: increased costs for additional heating, as well as time and money costs for redevelopment.
Source:
Important: this heating method requires approval and permission to connect the room with a balcony or loggia. It takes a long time, a lot of fuss and running around the authorities, as well as the costs of redevelopment and subsequent renovation of the new premises.
The most effective option for connecting a balcony is to combine it with an adjacent room and integrate it into a common thermal circuit.
Advice: when deciding on the insulation of a panoramic balcony, you can go in two ways: do it yourself or turn to a specialized company for help. If you have free time and the necessary skills in this matter, then by insulating your balcony with your own hands, you can definitely save 10–20% of your money.
By following all the tips, you can properly insulate your loggia or balcony, and in the end you will get a wonderful and cozy corner with a magnificent view.
We are confident that our recommendations and thematic selection of videos helped you easily carry out all the necessary technical work. All the best and see you again on the pages of our website!
The floor is not properly insulated
In order not to overload the floor slab (for example, with a concrete screed or leveling mixture), it is better to make the floor covering from lightweight modern materials. On top of the vapor barrier - foil or polyethylene film - mats made of penoplex or mineral wool are laid in two layers. On top is waterproofing, which can be used, for example, hydroglass insulation. The rolls are placed on top with an overlap of about 10-20 centimeters. Using a blowtorch, the mastic-based strips are fused together, and if the use of open fire is for some reason impractical or dangerous, then the sheets are fastened mechanically. Then a layer of plywood, and only then carpet or laminate.
Finally, the “classic” method of floor insulation is also not bad: wooden logs are laid on the slab, between which modern insulating materials are located.
