How to insulate a balcony? 6 steps

Useful floor space is always too little. Discover missing a few meters, with whom life will be spacious and comfortable, perhaps on the balcony. Patience, owning a high quality building materials and the necessary knowledge, the owners of the apartment are beginning to arrange well balcony space.
People love to find a useful application of each site apartment in the corridor there is a spacious wardrobe, and numerous storage rooms filled with not too old the right things in the hall cupboard stores heirlooms. Balcony similar fate befalls. Many owners make of balconies and loggias these stocks outright junk. Otherwise, you can not call a broken bike smashed children's skis, which is a pity to throw, but to use them to their destination is clearly no one will have. Warming of the balcony of the apartment will help rid of the debris and give some useful meters.
However, there is a modern, practical and economical solution - to equip the small room on the balcony for relaxing, playing or even a small gym. Avoid common mistakes. The main reason - banal haste. Hastily inserted windows, smeared crack, put an electric radiator. But later in the room is a pleasure to be infrequent. Coveted heat comes out, and the hosts are forced to contemplate passively. To be comfortable indoor balcony first be well warmed balcony. In this process, you need to highlight a few important points.

1. Windows

Installation of warm ups. It is important to state of the balcony railings. If she is strong enough, it is safe to insert windows. Otherwise, the need to strengthen the existing fence of another, not sparing funds for welding. Since the ultimate concern - warm, you should choose a model with a swinging version of windows open, multi or reflect infrared heat-saving windows.

2. Eliminating gaps

Eliminating gaps. Balcony windows, even with the set is still pretty cold. Through numerous cracks easily comes out warm, and the sooner, the colder the street. For sealing cracks apply polyurethane sealants. They are easy to use, durable, has a low coefficient of thermal expansion. One-component formulations should not be confused with difficulty adjusting proportion.

3. Insulation

Choosing the right insulation. Good thermal insulation takes away precious centimeters square, but this will have to accept. If the region inhabited by the owners of the balcony, winter lasts six months or more, you need to insulate everything parapet walls of the apartment, concrete slabs on top and bottom. The ceiling is insulated, even if the neighbors above have built on the balcony of the whole castle. In choosing the material in the first place must take into account its thermal conductivity, which is the lower, the better the material is suitable for thermal insulation. A great option - extruded polystyrene. He has a small thermal conductivity, it is light and does not disintegrate during installation, easily cut with an ordinary knife. If money tight, there is a way out - for thermal insulation of conventional foam sheets are purchased.

4. insulation works

Insulation works. When the heater has been acquired begin mounting work. Insulation materials are secured with dowels or glue - the apartment owners have the right to choose what they like most.
· The first way - the mounting area is well greased, do not forget to apply the adhesive also on the heater itself. Then, the two surfaces are joined. It should be noted that the glue, which is attached insulation, does not contain toluene - one of the most popular organic solvents.
· The second way - fastening with dowels. It is also simple. Plugs are mounted around the perimeter (in square meters must account for about ten fixtures).
With any method of fastening the seams between the sheets are filled with foam insulation (not containing toluene). Most careful owners combine the two mentioned ways, choosing the best in a particular area, or using both at the same reliability.
Choosing a method of fixture, start proper insulation works. On the floor and the bottom of the walls arranged waterproofing. Then does not hurt to trim the floor, then it is laid insulation. It should be remembered, and a vapor barrier, get rid of bad misfortune - mold. Often when installing insulation sloppy appearance of fungi is inevitable. Thermal insulation of the floor is completed laying on him polymer reinforced with mesh. The walls and ceiling are insulated much easier. Heater is mounted somehow, then the walls, "sewn" plasterboard resistant to moisture. The ceiling used successfully suspended construction of which are hidden wiring. Vapor is important here. The ideal solution - to put a vapor barrier before the insulation.

5. Finish and outer design

The exterior finish is best left to professionals with extensive experience in such work, and knows how to make a beautiful result. Finishing the balcony inside the owners easily fulfill their own. Moisture resistant gypsum board is easily painted in any color you like. Also, the walls can be covered with panels of MDF. It is a modern material with many advantages. It looks good on the balcony wall paneling made of wood or plastic.

6. The additional heat

Installation of a separate heat source. In the presence of the insulating material, heat stays indoors, but it does not produce itself. Maybe build a "warm floor", install heating radiator, to build air conditioning. The final decision should be taken by the owners, according to their financial and other features. Of course, air conditioning is best to maintain a constant temperature in the room, but consumes a lot of energy and not all are allowed to install it.