Subfloor on the balcony. Do-it-yourself balcony floor - step-by-step instructions for installation and insulation. Warm floor system

September 7, 2016
Specialization: facade finishing, interior decoration, construction of cottages, garages. Experience of an amateur gardener and gardener. We also have experience in repairing cars and motorcycles. Hobbies: playing the guitar and many other things that I don’t have time for :)

The easiest way to create a warm and comfortable floor on a balcony is to lay wooden flooring on the joists. Everyone can cope with this task home handyman. The only thing is that you first need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances of the work, which you can learn from this article, in which I will describe in detail the process of installing a plank floor.

Arranging a wooden floor

Concrete is known to have high strength. However, at the same time it has many disadvantages, the most serious of which are the following:

• it is a cold material, so walking barefoot on it is uncomfortable;
• Over time it begins to gather dust.

If you want to use the balcony usefully, and not as a place to store unnecessary rubbish, arranging a comfortable floor is a necessity. As already said above, perfect solution in this case, lay the floor on the balcony on joists. It is comfortable, warm, durable and, moreover, allows you to lay almost any finishing coating on top or can even serve as a finishing floor itself.

Installing a floor on logs on a balcony includes several main steps:

Below I will tell you how to get the job done in each of these steps.

Step 1: preparing the balcony

If you want the floor to be warm, dry and durable, it must be properly prepared for further work. This is done as follows:

1. first of all, it is necessary to remove the old floor covering, if any, and clear the floor of debris;
2. if the floor contains chips and cracks, prepare a small amount of cement-sand or polymer-cement repair mortar and remove them;
3. The joints between horizontal and vertical slabs should be filled with sealant. They must first be cleaned of dust and dried;
4. after the repair “patches” have hardened, the excess must be cut off or cleaned off so that the result is a smooth, even surface;
5. After this, the surface of the concrete slab must be treated with a special primer. It can also be used to cover the lower surface of walls.

All these measures will protect the concrete from destruction, make it more moisture resistant, and also prevent the appearance of mold.

Step 2: waterproofing work

Waterproofing can be done in several ways - using special paints, mastics, roll materials. However, the simplest is to use ordinary polyethylene film or roofing felt; the price of these materials is much lower than other types of waterproofing coatings.

The work is carried out as follows:

1. measure the balcony and cut the film or roofing felt into sheets required length. The dimensions are selected taking into account the fact that the waterproofing should overlap and wrap around the wall. The turn should be equal to the height of the floor;
2. After this, lay waterproofing on the floor. If roofing felt is used for these purposes, the surface should first be treated with bitumen mastic.

To secure the turn polyethylene film, placed on the walls, it should be secured with construction tape;

1. The joints of the film sheets should also be taped with tape so that the surface is completely sealed.

This completes the waterproofing.

Step 3: preparing materials

It is best to use it as a lag wooden beam. It is advisable that he be hard rocks, for example, oak. The width of the beam should be twice its height.

Particular attention should be paid to the height of the beam, since the height of the future floor depends on this. Keep in mind that you can raise the floor on the balcony with joists to a height not exceeding the height of the threshold between the balcony and the room. There are times when it is not possible to lay logs at all due to a low balcony, in which case the boards are laid directly on.

The beams for logs must be dried, otherwise over time they may lead to damage, with all the ensuing consequences.

In addition to the logs, some other materials will be needed to install the floor:

• boards 2-2.5 cm thick;
• thermal insulation material - it can be polystyrene foam, mineral mats, expanded clay or any other heat insulator.

After preparing all the materials, you can start working.

Step 4: laying the joists

The installation process of logs is carried out in the following sequence:

1. First of all, you need to prepare the logs. To do this, decide in advance how you will lay them - lengthwise or crosswise. It must be said that it is more expedient to lay the timber lengthwise, since in this case you will have to install much less lag, which will speed up the work.

Having decided on the location of the logs, mark them and once again make sure that the size of the timber for the logs for the floor on the balcony is indicated correctly. After this, the beams need to be cut according to the markings with a hacksaw;

1. Now we need to lay the joists on the floor. The most important thing on at this stage arrange them horizontally and in the same plane.

Start with the first joist, for example, located near the wall. Place it on the slab and check the position with a building level.

If there are deviations, you need to place something flat under one side of the beam, for example, a plate. Many craftsmen prefer to lay tiles under wooden joists left after dismantling the old covering;

1. after the log is leveled horizontally, it should be secured to the floor using dowel nails or anchors;
2. then lay the joist on the opposite side. It must be positioned so that it is located in the same horizontal plane as the first part. To do this, put building level by two logs and, if necessary, eliminate deviations in the manner described above.

Check the horizontal position of the logs with a level different areas along the entire floor;

1. now use the same principle to set the average lag. As a result, the surface of the beams should form a horizontal plane in all directions.

Before laying the logs, the beams must be treated with a protective antiseptic impregnation, which will make the wood more moisture resistant and also prevent rotting and mold formation.

Step 5: Waterproofing and Thermal Insulation

To make the floor warm, the space between the joists must be filled with thermal insulation material. This operation is carried out quite simply, the only thing is make sure that the heat insulator fits tightly to the beams and to each other. This will avoid the formation of cold bridges.

If used as insulation bulk material, for example, expanded clay, then it just needs to be leveled so that the surface of the insulation does not stick out above the beams.

Another layer of waterproofing should be laid on top of the insulation. For these purposes, it is best to use plastic film. As in the previous case, Tape the joints of the panels with tape so that moisture cannot penetrate into the insulation.

Step 6: Installing the Boardwalk

Now all that remains is to lay the boardwalk on the joists. Instructions for doing this work look like this:

1. cut the boards to the width of the balcony, taking into account that there should be a space of about one centimeter between the walls;
2. Start laying the flooring from any wall. To do this, secure the board to the joists using self-tapping screws. Be sure to recess the head of the screw so that it does not protrude above the floor;
3. then the second board is laid. If the flooring is made from a floorboard, then it should be tapped from the end with a mallet so that the tenon of one part fits into the groove of the other. If the boards are ordinary, the second part must be pressed tightly against the previous one and fixed to the floor with self-tapping screws;
4. All other boards are installed using this principle;
5. To complete the work, you can lay a finishing coating on the boards, for example, linoleum, and then install plinths.

On this floor device wooden joists completed. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this work.

Conclusion

You can lay a plank floor on a balcony quite quickly, even without anyone’s help. The most important thing in this matter is to properly prepare the balcony and correctly position the logs so that the flooring is level. In addition, treat waterproofing responsibly, otherwise the wood will begin to rot and the heat insulator will no longer cope with its task.

See the video in this article for more information. If you have any difficulties during the work, ask questions in the comments, and I will be happy to help you.

The arrangement of the floor on the balcony is done last, when glazing has already been done, as well as insulation and finishing of the walls, roof and parapet. Before starting work on arranging the floor on the balcony, it would be advisable to purchase and prepare everything necessary materials and tools.

Required materials and tools

Regardless of what you choose flooring, the area of ​​the room and the condition of the base, you will definitely need the following materials:

• insulation;
• material for hydro- and vapor barrier;
• polyurethane foam;
• timber with a section of 50x50 mm;
• metal corners;
• self-tapping screws;
• dowel-nails;
• sheets of plywood or chipboard;
• materials for finishing coating.

Loggia floor insulation scheme

Sometimes there may be a need for additional expenses:

• plaster – if the concrete base of the floor has cracks or unevenness;
• mixture for screed - in the case when the floor height in different areas is not the same;
• varnish - if you purchase timber that has not been treated with antiseptic impregnation.

Cleaning the floor from debris and dirt

The first stage of floor insulation

It is carried out in two stages - first a thin layer is spread thermal insulation material over the entire base area, and then additional tile insulation is installed in the spaces between the joists. To do this, you can use the same insulation, or you can use different ones. At the first stage, we will use a lightweight, flexible material with low thermal conductivity. Mineral wool is produced in rolls or slabs; the first option is suitable for us.

Waterproofing layer

Minus mineral wool– its ability to absorb moisture. Therefore, we first lay a layer of waterproofing on the concrete base. You can use glassine, but a special waterproofing membrane will be more reliable. We lay insulation, as well as waterproofing, over the entire floor area with a small margin. Mineral wool can be placed in several layers if desired. In this case, make sure that the joints of each top layer do not coincide with the joints of the lower one.

Layer of heat-reflecting material

The second stage of floor insulation and laying of logs

After treating the timber with an antiseptic or varnish (if necessary), we proceed to laying the logs. First, we build a frame around the perimeter, then install cross bars every 50 cm. If the balcony is wide enough, you can put another beam in the middle perpendicular to the cross bars. We connect the frame elements together with self-tapping screws, and attach the logs to the base using metal corners and dowel nails.

Laid joists

Cutting mineral wool required sizes

Laying mineral wool between joists

We install heat-insulating material into the formed cells. Instead of mineral wool, you can take polystyrene foam, since it is easy to process - you can easily cut slabs of the required size. In addition, the price for this insulation is quite affordable. there will also be good option for the balcony.

We fill all the cracks between the joists and the insulation with polyurethane foam. Unlike mineral wool, polystyrene foam is moisture resistant, but is vapor permeable. Therefore, we lay a layer of vapor barrier over the log with insulation.

Final work

Now you need to cover the frame with plywood or chipboard sheets, it is advisable to use moisture-resistant materials. We attach the rough covering to the joists using self-tapping screws, and lay linoleum or carpet on top. You can limit yourself to painting or varnishing the plywood. After installing the finishing coating, we cut off the edges of the waterproofing and mineral wool along the perimeter of the balcony, carefully seal all joints with polyurethane foam and install the baseboard.

Cover with plywood, boards or chipboard sheets

1. Remember that the balcony is a protruding part of the building. Do not use heavy materials such as a natural stone. For the same reason, it is not recommended to pour too thick a layer of concrete screed. It would be useful to familiarize yourself with project documentation and find out what additional load the structure of your balcony can withstand.
2. Before you begin, mark the location of the joists on the walls. You won't have to guess where to screw in the screws, and the work process will speed up significantly.
3. If you use spruce for floor screed, follow the instructions on the package exactly. Such mixtures are convenient, they harden quickly, but without experience working with these materials, you can get an unsatisfactory result.
4. When installing logs, do not be too lazy to first lay out all the elements of the frame without securing them, as if trying them on. If you are going to treat the timber with impregnation or varnish, it is best to do this after fitting and before the final installation of the frame.
5. should not be placed directly on the insulation, but should be placed under them with scraps of plywood. With their help, you can adjust the height of the frame in different places.
6. When choosing timber for the logs, as well as insulation and finishing coating, keep in mind that the height of the floor on the balcony should not be greater than the height of the floor in the room.

Can be used as a final coating on the balcony. By doing your own balcony floor repairs, you will not only save money, but will also be confident in the quality of the work at every stage.

In the majority apartment buildings the floor on the balcony is ordinary concrete slab without any finishing. At the same time, the floor level on the balcony is significantly lower than the final coating level in the apartment itself. That is why, before laying the selected floor covering on a loggia or balcony, it is worth making a subfloor, which will allow you to raise the base and become an excellent base for laying any floor covering. In addition, the rough foundation in this place will perform leveling functions and protect the concrete slab from the negative effects of weather factors. If you decide to construct such a base yourself, then the video from our article will help you.

What materials will be needed?

If your balcony or loggia is glazed and has a system radiator heating or a warm floor, then to level the base you can use the same materials as for similar surfaces inside the apartment.

On a glazed balcony or loggia without heating, only moisture-resistant materials can be used. The thing is that although this room is protected from precipitation, condensation can collect on the surfaces due to temperature changes. Here, leveling can be done using moisture-resistant plywood, plasterboard, gypsum fiber board, fiberglass board, oriented strand boards or cement screed. In this case, you can choose linoleum, tiles, carpet, or moisture-resistant laminate for the front layer.

The most difficult thing is to select materials for open balcony, which is constantly exposed to precipitation and experiences low temperatures in winter. To install a subfloor with your own hands, you can use screed, OSB or cement-bonded particle boards. As a finishing layer you can choose ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles or terrace boards.

Important: since the balcony slab is cantilevered on only one side, you should not load it too much. To raise the floor above 5 cm, it is better to use light beam structures (joists) rather than heavy cement screed.

Determining the floor mark

To determine the level of the finished floor on a balcony or loggia, use a water or laser level, you can also take a regular bubble tool. To find the clean floor mark with your own hands using a water level, do the following:

1. Place a mark anywhere on the wall.
2. Using a water level, the mark is also transferred to other walls or fences of the balcony or loggia.
3. The resulting marks are connected by a solid line.
4. Where the line is at the greatest distance from the floor, measure the height.
5. Then the height of the floor structure is subtracted from the shortest distance and the resulting value is laid down from the horizon line.
6. The level of the clean floor is measured from the resulting mark using a water level.

Rough cement floor

Leveling the floor on a balcony or loggia using a cement screed can be done if the layer height is within 30-50 mm. Screeds less than 3 cm high are quite fragile, so they can quickly crack. And higher ties will put too much stress on the balcony slab.

The installation of a subfloor with your own hands is carried out in the following order:

1. The balcony slab must be cleaned of debris, loose concrete and dust. Cracks are repaired using cement mortar or a gypsum-based mixture. The surface is primed. This will improve the adhesion of the screed to the slab.
2. If the screed is performed on an open balcony with a lattice fencing, then to prevent leakage cement-sand mortar Temporary formwork made of boards or plywood is attached along the open edge of the slab. Balconies and loggias with continuous fencing do not need such measures.
3. Now you can start installing beacons. For these purposes, long steel guides with a special profile are used. Beacons are cut into pieces of the required length and installed every 500-600 mm. The top edge of the beacon should fall on the expected screed mark. For small balcony Two beacons will be enough.
4. To fix the beacons, use cement or gypsum mortar. The position of the rack is checked with a level. When the solution under the beacons has hardened (after about 3 hours), you can begin screeding.
5. Prepare a cement-sand mixture in a ratio of 1 to 3. Add enough water so that the solution has the consistency of thick sour cream. Typically, 10 kg of dry matter requires 2 liters of water.
6. The solution is laid out between the beacons and leveled using a rule, pulling it along the guides.

Attention: if it is dry and hot outside, then the finished screed must be covered with plastic film and periodically moistened with water. This is necessary to protect against rapid drying and cracking.

1. After a couple of days, the formwork can be removed. The surface of the screed is leveled with a float. The subfloor for laying the flooring is ready.

Dry screed

If you want to not only level, but also insulate the floor on a balcony or loggia with your own hands, then you should choose a dry screed. This screed is done quite quickly and is ready for laying the face layer immediately after the device.

Sequence of dry screed installation:

1. The preparation of the concrete slab is done in the same way as in the previous version.
2. A damper tape is laid around the perimeter of the balcony or loggia.
3. Next, waterproofing is performed. To do this, use polyethylene film, which is laid with an overlap and placed on the walls to a height of 60-100 mm. The ends of the film are glued together with tape.
4. We install beacons. For this, it is better to use thick-walled profiles with a U-shaped section. They are laid with the wide side down along the walls of the room without being fixed to the slab. Check horizontality with a level.
5. Expanded clay is poured into the space between the beacons. The layer height is 3-7 cm. The surface is leveled using the rule.
6. Now the tongue-and-groove gypsum fiber boards are being laid. The tongue and groove of the slabs is glued and fixed with self-tapping screws in increments of 50-100 mm. The slabs are not attached to the base and beacons.
7. The protruding edge strip is cut at the level of the slabs.

Subfloor on joists

With the help of logs you can level the floor on the balcony and raise it to required level. In addition, this design allows for insulation to be placed in the gaps between the joists. If you do the work yourself, adhere to the following installation technology:

1. The concrete slab is cleaned of debris and dust.
2. If the balcony below you is not glazed or there is open space there, then you need to waterproof the floor. To do this, the surface is covered with plastic film, the edges of which are placed on the walls. In addition to plastic film, you can take penofol. It simultaneously performs the functions of hydro- and thermal insulation.
3. Now we begin to install the logs. For these purposes, it is better to use a beam with a section of 5x5 cm. The height of the beam may be different depending on what level you need to raise the floor to. We attach the logs to the slab using dowels. The fastening pitch is 400-500 mm. There should be at least 5 cm from the outer beam to the walls.
4. Thermal insulation material is laid between the joists. For an open balcony, you can use polystyrene foam or expanded clay. For glazed rooms, basalt wool, glass wool, and extruded polystyrene foam are suitable.

Advice: to prevent cold bridges from forming in the structure, the insulation should be laid very tightly without gaps between it and neighboring structures.

1. A dense material is attached on top of the logs: tongue-and-groove boards, plywood, OSB, gypsum board, plasterboard or fiberboard.

Video guide on leveling the floor on a balcony using joists:

Use of self-leveling mixtures

The easiest way is to make a foundation with your own hands using self-leveling building compounds. This leveling is suitable for uneven bases not exceeding 3 cm. Cement strainer of this thickness can crack, but the self-leveling composition will give a strong, even and smooth surface with a height of 0.3 to 3 cm.

Alignment is carried out in this order:

1. The concrete slab is cleaned of debris and dust. All gaps between it and the walls, as well as cracks, are carefully sealed. cement mortar. After this, the surface is vacuumed.
2. The slab is primed. After 3-6 hours, when the primer has hardened, you can proceed to the next stage.
3. Prepare a self-leveling mass. To do this, add water to the dry mixture according to the instructions on the package.
4. The mixture is evenly poured over the floor and leveled with a steel spatula.
5. To remove air bubbles, go over the liquid screed with a needle roller.
6. After 1-2 days you can walk on the screed.

For quality and beautiful finishes and leveling the floor, use different Decoration Materials. But in order to install them efficiently and for a long time, it is necessary to prepare the foundation for them. This base is called a subfloor. Such measures are used in cases where the slab is too damaged and it is impossible to level it with local points, also when the difference is too large. Very often when making a subfloor, it is insulated with penoplex or mineral wool.

Arrangement of the floor on the loggia

The rough floor leveling device is quite simple; it can be made from wooden materials or cement mixtures both dry and wet. Additionally, various insulation materials, insulators, linings under the joists, etc. are placed under such a floor. If you use wood, then the wooden floor is laid on logs, and the above-mentioned additions are installed in the resulting sections.

In this article we will tell you how to make a subfloor with your own hands using wooden materials, describe the stages of creating such a structure and write what features such floors have. We will also clarify which screed is better to choose for a balcony: dry or wet.

Stages of laying and leveling the floor on joists

Let's take a look at what installation work needs to be done to ensure that the floor installation is high-quality and quick.

We tried to break down all the information step by step into the following points:

1. We will begin installation work with preparation.
2. We will carry out the installation work on installing the timber yourself.
3. Why should you install thermal insulation?
4. Finally, it is necessary to lay and fasten the surface from boards or plywood.

First of all, we dismantle the old covering and prepare a clean concrete floor. If there are too large holes or holes, they should be sealed with mortar. But you shouldn’t overdo it, you just need to slightly smooth out too large irregularities; you can ignore the small ones.

Then, after trimming the surface, we carefully apply waterproofing, this may be bitumen mastic or film material. This way, you will have a completely finished surface for further installation work.

The next preparatory stage will be the collection the necessary tool and materials. You need to prepare the following items:

• Drill and screwdriver. If you have a fairly powerful screwdriver available, then it will be sufficient.
• To make holes in a concrete base, you need a hammer drill.
• To cut boards and timber of the size we need, you should use a hacksaw. To speed up and simplify the process, you can use a jigsaw if the size of the beam allows it.
• Level, 70-100 centimeters long, for leveling the surface.
• Small tools such as tape measure, hammer, sandpaper.
• Consumables: screws, nails, staples, metal corners.

The size of the timber should be chosen based on your needs. Depending on how much you want to raise the floor and what the difference is. The thickness of the boards or plywood should be selected according to the same parameters as the timber.

We carry out installation and lay insulation

Do-it-yourself installation of a floor on joists is a fairly simple process, but you need to know some features. If your balcony or loggia is long enough for boards or plywood to fit, then there is the option of installing the bars across the balcony in short sections. If you plan to lay boards or plywood lengthwise, installation of the base is carried out along the entire balcony.

Required insulation layer thickness

The beams must be secured to the base using anchor wedges or bolts. Fastening occurs directly to the base of the balcony. If there is an empty space between the beam and the slab, pieces of board or plywood should be placed tightly there. When installing timber, you should constantly check its level to ensure that the floor is as level as possible. Thanks to its design, it is very easy to add insulating materials to such a subfloor.

One of the best for such a floor would be polystyrene foam. Dimensions and thickness should be selected based on the size of your timber. Having measured the size of the formed cells between the beams, you should cut out the foam a little bigger size. Then it will fit more tightly, retain heat better and provide better sound insulation.

The insulation can be laid in two salts with your own hands, if the size of the log allows it. If you are afraid that water may get on the insulation when washing the floors or accidentally spilled, you can cover it with plastic film. If linoleum is used for finishing, additional insulation will be unnecessary.
We cover our structure with boards or plywood

Wooden floor installation diagram

Installation work on sewing up a subfloor with your own hands can be carried out using either ordinary boards or special ones. Such materials have a special design, they have a special connection system, which allows them to be installed more efficiently. Having installed one extreme one, the second one is inserted with a tenon into its groove and hammered tightly with a hammer. Of course, the hammer should be used carefully so as not to damage the structure.

You can fasten the boards to the timber with nails or self-tapping screws. Using a screwdriver, you can use self-tapping screws very quickly and quite efficiently. It is enough to attach 1-2 boards to each beam.

If you use plywood, then you should install the joists so that the two ends of the plywood meet on their surface. Secure the plywood in the same way as the boards, with one or two self-tapping screws to each beam.

Adjustable floor

So that during the leveling process you can easily set the required level with your own hands, installation work of the adjustable coating is carried out. Each beam is installed on an anchor with wedges, which adjust the level of the beam by screwing or unscrewing. Thus, it is practically perfect alignment coverage level.

Installation of wooden (50*50 or 50*70mm thick) logs with adjustable legs makes it easy to adjust the floor level on the balcony (without overloading the balcony slab).

The wedges will act as lifts; the entire structure will rest on the wedges, so it is worth choosing wedges of sufficient strength. The wedges are installed in fairly frequent increments, every 40-50 centimeters along the beam. To distribute the load as much as possible across all wedges that will be used to create the structure.

Making a screed

Installation work on rough floor leveling can be done using two methods, using a standard wet sand concrete screed or a less popular dry screed. Wet screed is made from a mixture of concrete, sand with the addition of water. At the output we get flat surface, but significantly increase the load on the load-bearing slab.

Dry screed is made from different materials, for example, expanded clay or any small bulk material. It is distributed in an even layer over the entire area using the rule. Special plates are laid on top, fastening them into the groove. Such fasteners will ensure good integrity of the entire structure.

It is quite possible to make a wooden subfloor on your balcony with your own hands. Thanks to its simple design and quick installation Anyone can do this, without the need to have special skills in construction.

And a special adjustment method, using wedges, allows you to make the surface very smooth and durable. Thanks to this design, the alignment process becomes very simple and fast.

The wedges serve as a support; they should be selected to be quite strong so that they do not break during service. Constantly monitor and level the entire structure so that the final result is as close to ideal as possible and the work done with your own hands is more enjoyable.

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 ways to self-production floor on the balcony.

Screed, its manufacture and features

• If you plan to insulate the balcony, then it is most advisable to make a strong and high-quality screed on it under a wooden floor or. Concrete base You can also cover it with beautiful linoleum, carpet, or simply paint it, after leveling the floor with a special self-leveling mixture.

Speaking about what to make the floor on the balcony from, you should take into account that it is not so difficult to make a screed yourself, and besides, it is a budget option. However, this simple way there is also back side medals:

1. The screed significantly increases the height of the floor on the balcony (about 10-15 cm), which of course puts additional load on its base - that is, the slab. If the house is very old, the balcony may simply collapse.
2. Concrete floors are considered the coldest. Of course, it can be insulated (for example, with polystyrene foam), but this will not help much; thermal insulation still leaves the floor cool.

If the above circumstances do not scare you, then you should study step-by-step instructions on how to make a floor on a balcony with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself screed manufacturing technology

First, the floor is prepared for installation work. The first step is to carefully close all noticed cracks. They usually occur in those places where the wall is adjacent to the slab - the base.

Will help you with this preparatory stage regular mounting foam or acrylic sealant. After all the cracks are sealed, you can begin arranging the floor.

Waterproofing

Laying a waterproofing film is necessary so that when pouring the solution, excess moisture from your screed does not leak to the neighbors below.

To waterproof the floor on the balcony, you don’t have to make any special efforts. Just carefully lay a thick sheet of polyethylene in the form of a neat “trough”.

Important! The film should be laid overlapping, laying about twenty centimeters on the walls. After the work is completed, the edges of the polyethylene are carefully cut off.

Reinforcement process

Basically, a steel mesh made of three-millimeter wire is used for this. The cells of the reinforcing mesh can be 50×50 or 100×100 millimeters.

The sequence of work is quite simple:

• All visible dirt and other debris are removed from the surface;
• The first row of mesh is carefully laid on the insulation and pressed tightly;
• The second row is placed overlapping 1-2 cells.

After the mesh is laid, you can begin installing beacons for the screed. This issue must be approached with special responsibility, since the evenness of the constructed floor will depend on the correct installation.

Lighthouses

• In construction, beacons are special guides (landmarks), by moving along which you can level the applied coating to a perfectly flat and flawless surface. When making a balcony floor in the form of a screed, you can’t do without such little things.

Beacons are installed in one plane, which is determined in accordance with the height of the threshold in indoor block doors. Also, all beacons must be carefully aligned horizontally.

Important! To ensure that the beacons do not move during the screed leveling process, they must be firmly fixed. To secure them firmly, it is best to use building plaster or cement mortar.

Filling the screed

After all this preliminary work has been done, you can prepare a solution of sand and cement (four parts cement and one part sand). The finished mixture is carefully poured between pre-installed beacons and carefully leveled using the rule.

After completing the concrete work, the screed is covered with a sheet of polyethylene to slow down the drying process. If you neglect this, it may crack during hardening.

It is also necessary to ensure that the thickness of the screed laid on foam plastic or other insulation is at least fifty millimeters. Otherwise, the base of the floor on the balcony will crack under the influence of gravity - for example, from the weight of furniture.

Traditional wood floor

When talking about what to make a balcony floor from, we cannot fail to mention the relative ease of making wood flooring. The process of installing a wooden floor can be done with your own hands, without any special tools or special devices; it is even easier than a screed.

Wooden floor- without a doubt can be called the most environmentally friendly coating. It is visually attractive, looks natural and has a durable structure.

• As a disadvantage, it should be mentioned that the tree is afraid of water. Unfortunately, if the balcony is open, precipitation in the form of rain and snow easily penetrates inside and has an adverse effect on the wood covering. To avoid this, they must have glazing.

Technology for making wooden floors on the balcony

The initial stage of work is absolutely the same as in the manufacture of screeds. That is, you should start by carefully sealing all the cracks using regular polyurethane foam. Once the base is prepared, you can move on.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing should be done in the same way as in the case of a screed, but in the case of a wooden floor, it does not protect the renovation of the inhabitants of the lower floors, but the insulation layer from capillary moisture and condensate.

Schematic structure of a wooden floor on a balcony: 1 - vapor barrier, 2 - wooden plank, 3 — counter-rail, 4 — waterproofing, 5 — insulation, 6 — floor slab

Lags

In construction, logs are called transverse (support) beams, on top of which batten. For a balcony, a wooden beam of 50×100 or 50×70 mm is usually used. Before starting work, it is recommended to treat the logs with a special antiseptic to prevent the appearance of blue stains and the formation of rot.

• So that the floor on the balcony can withstand high pressure, the bars are placed on an edge, parallel to one of the walls and in relation to each other in the circle. As a rule, one lag is placed in the middle and several (two or three) on the sides. They are fixed firmly, right through to the concrete slab itself, using self-tapping screws with anchor fastenings or metal corners.

Insulation process

The use of ordinary mineral wool as a thermal insulation material is not best idea, since it absorbs moisture well, after which it loses its insulating properties. For these purposes, it is more advisable to use: expanded clay, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, glass wool or basalt insulation.

The material should be laid (filled) in the spaces between the joists, but there is no need to reach the very top; builders usually leave a slight gap for ventilation.

Advice! To protect the insulation from water, a layer of plastic film is laid on top of it. The easiest way to fasten polyethylene to joists is by simply construction stapler, tucked with metal staples.

To prevent the walls on the balcony from freezing, they must also be well insulated

Laying wood flooring

To install a wooden floor, you can use not only edged board, but also plain plywood, especially if the balcony is reliably insulated, and the choice is made in favor of parquet board or laminate.

In principle, the wooden covering on the balcony does not require any additional processing at all. The boards can be simply painted or a special varnish applied to them in several layers. The plywood can be covered with a long-pile carpet, this to some extent solves the issue related to insulation.

A visual guide on how to make a balcony floor with your own hands: 1 - concrete slab, 2 - rough counter beam, 3 - logs, 4 - basalt fiber insulation, 5 - plywood

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

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

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 system.

• If you decide, 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).

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 on the balcony, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the very specificity of this room. Thus, the floor covering must withstand significant operating loads, while linoleum should not cause maintenance problems, and its appearance should not be disharmonious with general design 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).

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.

Laying linoleum on a concrete base

1. The installation of such a floor on the balcony begins with placing a sheet of linoleum on a pre-primed ready-made screed.
2. It takes several days to straighten, after which it is cut to the required size, and a layer of glue is applied to the screed.
3. The panel is rolled out over the surface of the balcony, pressed very tightly to the floor, then rolled with a small rubber roller.

Linoleum on the balcony can also be laid on regular plywood. Wood retains heat well, so it will be pleasant to walk on this surface barefoot even in winter.

Laminate

If you decide to make the floor on your balcony with your own hands, it is important that it is not only reliable and practical, but also has a presentable appearance. And here, of course, it is worth mentioning such a popular type of flooring as laminate.

Laminate of the appropriate class (32, 33, 34) may well be located on a balcony or loggia, especially if it has increased protection from moisture.

Laminate flooring on the balcony is the optimal solution if the space is planned to be used as a living space

The moisture-resistant type of laminate is made on the basis of HDF board. Most often, it has a greenish tint, as it is treated with special impregnations with antibacterial properties, which help not only reduce the ability to absorb water, but also prevent the possible appearance of mold and mildew on the surface.

Carpet

Carpet is a modern carpet for any type of room. It works as a moisture regulator and therefore creates its own microclimate in the room. At strong humidity absorbs moisture, and when dry, evaporates.

Today you can find different types of carpet on the market:

• with natural or synthetic fibers;
• with short and long pile;
• with different combinations of uncut loops.

For reference! If we compare the pile and the uncut loop, the latter will be a little tougher.

• For fully enclosed and insulated balconies, choose softer options, with long pile or long loop.
• For cold balconies the choice is made in favor of carpet with a small uncut loop or fine pile. Its structure is quite dense, keeps it clean for a long time, and cleaning is simple and quick.

Natural carpet, quite warm and soft, springs well when walking. Therefore, moving around it is a pleasure. This option is very good both for the balcony and for other rooms, but compared to its artificial counterpart it has four distinct disadvantages:

• high price;
• rapid wear;
• it can cause allergies if the wool content is more than ten percent;
• cleaning it will take much longer.

But all these types of carpet have one thing in common: they are very easy to clean and therefore many people prefer this floor covering.

The presence on the construction market of a wide variety of materials for flooring and original technologies They allow you to quickly and efficiently put the floor on your balcony in order, making it practical, warm, and comfortable. This will help arrange a small, but comfortable place for a pleasant holiday for the whole family.