What is the floor on the balcony made of? What material is best for the floor on the balcony?

Wooden floor on the balcony it is built by apartment owners who are accustomed to truly rationally using every free meter of their home. This coating, created from high-quality dried and polished products, is suitable for both open and glazed, well-insulated loggias. In the second case, the extra squares of space are used for arrangement winter garden, office or play area for children.

Laying wooden floors - pros and cons

Wood – optimal material for installation of flooring. When touching it with bare feet, a person does not feel the discomfort that accompanies every step taken according to concrete base or ceramic tiles. It also has other advantages:

• Easy to process and attach to various base surfaces.
• Aesthetics and versatility. The wooden floor on the balcony goes well with any interior style.
• Environmentally friendly due to the natural origin of the material.
• High strength. Coverings made of larch, oak, and beech serve for decades without changing their initial operational and external characteristics.
• Opportunity quality leveling and insulation of the flooring.

Disadvantages of wood floors include a tendency to rot and flammability. These problems are solved by treating the products used with antiseptics and fire retardants.

The third disadvantage of wooden coverings is the ability to absorb moisture from environment. Their water-repellent capabilities can be increased by painting or treating the flooring with a protective varnish.

Plank floors are usually installed on warm loggias with glazing. Then the latter are used as full-fledged living quarters.

It is also possible to build the described structures on open balconies in old high-rise buildings (for example, in Khrushchev-era buildings). But in this case, it is necessary to care for the wood as carefully as possible.

Purchasing materials and tools - what to pay attention to?

Insufficiently dried boards must be kept for 3–10 days at room temperature, and then carefully examine each of them. All products with a deformed surface or other problems are rejected, the rest are impregnated with a fire retardant and antiseptic composition.

Advice. Treating wood with protective solutions at home takes time. It makes more sense to immediately purchase impregnated elements.

Insulation of coatings is carried out with polystyrene foam, penoplex, mineral wool, and other materials with low thermal conductivity. You also need to purchase a waterproof film and polyurethane foam.

Cutting wood and laying floor elements is carried out using simple tools. For the home handyman you will need:

• hammer;
• hacksaw or jigsaw;
• building level;
• stapler;
• drill;
• screwdriver;
• hardware.

A sharp knife is used to cut the insulation. If the base surface requires repair, materials for pouring the screed are purchased.

Preparation of the base - cosmetic and capital

The old floor covering is dismantled. The floor is cleared of debris and carefully inspected. If the surface is fairly smooth and does not have serious defects, the following actions are performed:

• polyurethane foam all horizontal and vertical seams are sealed;
• small holes and gaps are filled sand-cement mixture(proportions – 3 to 1 plus water);
• the base is primed (preferably with a penetrating solution).

In cases where the screed is in unsatisfactory condition (large holes, destroyed concrete layer), it is removed and a new one is poured. The work order is as follows:

• The joint between the wall and the slab is treated with waterproof mastic (with an extension of 10–15 cm onto the vertical surface).
• Formwork is constructed around the perimeter of the ceiling, which will not allow the poured composition to drain. Its height is taken to be 10 cm.
• Two slats are placed along the length of the base (parallel to each other). They play the role of beacons. The operation is carried out using a building level.

After this, the space between installed slats is filled in concrete mortar and levels well. After a day the mixture will set. Beacons are removed from it. The resulting recesses are filled with cement.

Lumps and swellings are carefully removed from the screed (using a wide spatula). The structure is left for 10–14 days to completely harden.

Log system - how to do it yourself?

A waterproof film or penofol is laid on the leveled balcony base. The latter not only protects the structure from moisture, but also additionally serves as an effective insulation material.

Other materials are also used as waterproofing. Let's highlight the most popular of them:

• Ruberoid is inexpensive and quite effective. It is laid on bitumen mastic.
• Penetrating compositions - applied in 2-3 layers, completely filling the pores of concrete.
• Painting latex-acrylic and special plaster moisture-resistant compositions. To work with them you need a brush and a spatula.

If the floor and the exit to the balcony are located on different heights, the covering is laid on the logs. Step-by-step instructions for creating the sheathing are given below:

• The timber is selected. Its cross-section should be equal to the height to which it is planned to raise the base, minus the thickness of the board used as a covering.
• Two long blanks are pre-mounted in parallel at the edge of the loggia and along the wall.
• The bars are cut into segments. The length of the latter corresponds to the distance between the previously laid elements. A total calculated so that the distance between them is 0.8–0.9 m.
• All blanks are treated with an antiseptic, dried, and soaked in drying oil.

The frame is being installed. The long pieces are laid first, then (from the two ends of the room) the side elements.

The resulting frame is fastened with self-tapping screws and metal corners. Its horizontalness is checked. If necessary, the structure is leveled using steel plates or wooden wedges placed under the beams.

The process ends with the installation of transverse sections. They are fixed to the sheathing in the same way. The finished frame is attached with dowels to the balcony base.

Insulating the sheathing - it's simple

The floor on the balcony should be protected from freezing from the side of the concrete base. For these purposes use:

• hard materials - perlite cement and polystyrene extruded boards (Penoplex);
• rolled products - slag, glass or mineral wool;
• sawdust and special backfills - ecowool, vermiculite, expanded clay.

The DIY thermal insulation process is simple. The selected insulation is cut into rectangles with a length and width 20–30 mm larger than the required size. They are laid between the lags.

The material should be installed as tightly as possible. Then cold air is guaranteed not to penetrate under the coating through it.

Important nuance! On open balconies there is no point in providing thermal protection to the floor. It will not be possible to properly insulate the coating, since raindrops falling on it will seep through the boards. This will lead to the formation of rot, active proliferation of microorganisms and destruction of wood.

Bulk heat insulation is poured between the joists in an even layer. Lightly compact. When subsidence occurs, add the required amount of material and compact it again.

Installation and finishing of the coating without complications or delays

Now batten produced with special locking fastenings on the edges (tongue and groove). Due to this, installing it with your own hands does not cause any difficulties for home craftsmen.

Installation of wooden products is carried out in the direction from the wall. A tenon is cut from the first board. It is positioned strictly perpendicular to the vertical surface with an indentation of 10–15 mm and attached to the joists with self-tapping screws or nails, which are screwed in (nailed) at a 45-degree angle.

The second covering element is inserted with a tenon into the groove of the previous one. The remaining parts are assembled in the same way. The very last piece is cut to the required dimensions and mounted in place. The gaps along the walls are covered with plinths.

The structure is painted or varnished (tinted, colorless). These compounds reduce the tendency of natural wood to absorb excessive moisture. They are applied in 2-3 layers with the obligatory drying of each of them.

The final finish of the floor can be done in any way. If you plan to use laminate or linoleum as cladding, it is recommended to level the plank base with sheets of plywood. They are attached to the joists with self-tapping screws in increments of 0.2 m.

Laying boards on a screed - features of the operation

When the threshold and balcony slab are located on the same level, wooden blanks It is allowed to lay directly on a concrete base. In this case, there is no need to create a lag system.

There are two ways to arrange such coatings. The first option requires making grooves in the screed and installing bars in them, on which they are then fixed wooden crafts. The installation of the latter is carried out according to the algorithm described in the previous section.

The second method requires a lot of labor. But the result of the work is much better. Step by step everything looks like this:

• Liquid waterproofing is applied to the screed.
• For moisture protective layer plywood is installed. It is attached to the surface with dowels.
• Top installed solid board. A gap of 0.8–1 cm is left between the first product and the wall.
• Wooden planks are fixed every 0.2–0.3 m with self-tapping screws. It is recommended to make holes for them with an electric drill in advance.
• Hardware goes deep into the flooring by 7–8 mm. The remaining recesses are covered with a wooden dowel.

Some craftsmen attach boards to plywood with two-component adhesive compositions. And then they are additionally secured with pneumatic pins.

The structure is sanded and coated with tinting varnish. If the surface is not very smooth, use paint instead. It masks the imperfections of the coating.

Wood flooring - a budget option

Wooden covering on the balcony has many advantages. But the cost of high-quality lumber is quite high. Thrifty DIYers Replace natural board cheaper products:

• wood fiber (chipboard);
• oriented strand board (OSB).

Such slabs are laid on logs according to a standard pattern with minor differences. They are given below:

• The joints of the assembled workpieces are placed strictly on the bars. If they hang down, the floor will sag under the weight of a person.
• Installation step cross beams equals 0.4 m, not 0.8–0.9.
• Surface wood boards processed with drying oil.

Floorings constructed from chipboard or OSB are not finished with laminate. Their decor is done only with carpet or linoleum.

Most apartment owners refuse an open balcony and strive to glaze and insulate it, using the best technologies available today. Making a loggia floor yourself is not at all difficult. You should approach this professionally, follow all stages of work, and then the floors will be warm, beautiful and will last a very long time. Let's look at how to make a loggia floor with your own hands.

Selection of materials

It is difficult to imagine a cozy loggia that does not have glazing and insulation. In this way, the microclimate in the room is improved, suitable for indoor flowers or for performing exercises on fresh air. Simple glazing can increase the temperature on the loggia by about 5-7 °C, and if the apartment is located on the south side - by about 10-12 °C. The insulated loggia is another full-fledged room of the apartment.

If you decide to combine a loggia and an adjacent room, then you should insulate the walls and floor well. When choosing a material for the floor on a balcony, you should analyze all the available options and settle on the most suitable one.

You can insulate the floor different ways. For example, by installing a “warm floor” system.

But before that it is necessary to perform other types of work:

• floor leveling;
• thermal insulation;
• fire protection.

Then you can begin to do the floor heating and final finishing.

Depending on the capabilities of the owners and the characteristics of the premises, the materials necessary for all stages of floor installation are selected.

Should be considered:

• features of the balcony arrangement;
• degree of insulation;
• glazing type;
• financial opportunities;
• planned temperature after insulation.

Even if insulation and glazing are not performed, installing the floor on the balcony involves the following steps:

• surface leveling. Knowing how to fill the floor on a balcony, this will not cause any particular difficulties;
• fine finishing.

Cost-effectiveness, reliability and beauty are the components of finishing a balcony floor.

The building materials from which it is made must withstand:

• influence external environment;
• sudden changes in temperature;
• precipitation and weather surprises.

Leveling the floor on the balcony

Typical houses have poor finishing and crooked surfaces. Since almost all finishing materials must be laid on a flat surface, the floor on the balcony should be leveled. This will also prevent water from accumulating and entering the room.

No additional load should be placed on the base plate, so the installation of the floor on the balcony should be made of lightweight materials. Regardless of what finishing materials will be used, do-it-yourself installation of the floor on the balcony is carried out using the following technology:

• removal of old finishes;
• getting rid of rot and dampness;
• sealing all existing seams and cracks;
• carrying out treatment with an antifungal composition;
• performing leveling and sealing;
• priming the surface or preparing the base for final finishing.

You can level the floor on the loggia in different ways:

1. Standard cement strainer, which does not have insulation or any fillers.
2. Dry screed with insulation with expanded polystyrene or expanded clay;
3. Dry and semi-dry screed with insulation.
4. Leveling for underfloor heating system.
5. Wooden floor on joists with or without insulation (more details: "").
6. Leveling under linoleum or laminate can be done in any way.
7. Screed for tiles.

Expanded clay layer for good insulation must be at least 3 cm. It is allowed to use dry sawdust with expanded clay, but this is done only if glass loggia the floor is sealed.

The screed is made from a mixture of sand and cement, the ratio of which depends on the proportions of water and sand. It is also necessary to take into account the brand of cement. There is little water in a semi-dry screed, and the cement and sand should be mixed well. The liquid solution will crack when drying, especially if the temperature is high or low temperature. Thick mortar is not easy to install.

The consistency of the floor leveling solution should be like thick sour cream. Such a solution will completely cover the expanded clay, and if the mixture is very liquid, it may float.

A dry screed consists of gypsum fiber or fiber cement sheets laid on a surface well leveled with expanded clay. The joints of the plates are glued and fixed with self-tapping screws at intervals of approximately 20 cm. Then foil-coated polyethylene foam is laid, and laminate or linoleum is laid on it.

Installation of wooden floors on joists

If it is difficult to choose materials for the loggia floor, it is better to use wood. It is a natural and wear-resistant material. For finishing floors in houses, wood has been used longer than other finishing materials.

Wood can be used to make not only the floor, but also to line the walls of the balcony. You also need to choose what to paint the floor on the balcony with.

A typical do-it-yourself floor installation on a balcony is done using the following technology:

1. The surface is cleaned and prepared for leveling.
2. A simple screed is performed.
3. When the screed is dry, the floor on the balcony is waterproofed. For this
   waterproofing film is spread.
4. The logs are laid and secured to the base.
5. Expanded clay or other insulation is poured.
6. The base layer or base is laid for the final finish.

When making a floor on joists, it is necessary to take into account the height of the threshold balcony door and a layer of insulation. The size of the timber is selected individually, since the height of the floor on the balcony can be different. For example, if you plan to lay insulation in several layers, then you need to raise the height of the floor. The timber sheathing is made directly on concrete slab. It is recommended to lay a waterproofing film.

The logs on the balcony should be placed at an equal distance from each other and preferably across the slab. This will make it easier to adjust the level of the bars horizontally. Expanded clay is poured into the space between the joists.

Finishing boards are nailed onto the joists. You can use ready-made wooden shield and secure it with a plinth.

Do not forget about the existence of a threshold, which should also be beautifully designed (more details: " "). It will hide the gap and smooth out the difference in height between the floor of the balcony and the living space.

Laminate flooring on the balcony

If you intend to install a “warm floor” system, you must choose a laminate with the appropriate marking. However, such material will cost more.

Linoleum floors

The floor on the loggia is also finished using insulated linoleum. This flooring is practical. Unlike simple thin linoleum, it is thicker and fibrous base. The price for insulated linoleum is higher, however, the difference is obvious. The floor will be much warmer than using regular linoleum, and you can walk on it barefoot.

The base for linoleum should also be smooth and insulated. Thin linoleum can also be made warm if you insulate the base or use a “warm floor” system.

It would be ideal to put a whole piece. If the floor on the balcony has a complex shape, then measure the widest point and length, adding 2-5 cm to these dimensions for allowances. By purchasing linoleum the right size, it should be spread at home so that it is level. After a few days, the shape of the leaf is adjusted to the floor of the loggia using a sharp knife. The edges should be pressed down with something heavy.

If suddenly an extra 2-3 cm was removed, do not worry, these flaws will be hidden by the baseboard. From how much good fastenings The quality of the linoleum installation will depend on the baseboard. It is recommended to use collapsible skirting boards with a flexible edge. It perfectly bends around surfaces at the joints.

You can hide under the baseboard:

• communications and wires;
• landline telephone wire;
• electrical cable;
• internet cable;
• antenna cable for TV.

It is necessary to measure the length of the plinth taking into account the fastening connection decorative corner. After laying the plinth on all sides, the corners are assembled. All corners must be pressed well and secured to the wall. The entire length of the plinth is also fixed to the wall with self-tapping screws at equal intervals.

How to make a loggia floor from pieces of linoleum? This is not an easy task. To join pieces with perfectly smooth edges, use the “ cold welding" To heat the glue that is applied to reverse side linoleum, cardboard or other dense material is placed under the joint. Then the joint must be heated either with a hair dryer or with a warm iron so that the glue “sets.” The glue is very difficult to remove, so it should not bleed through the seam. When the glue has done its job, remove the tape and cardboard. The result is an even seam.

Insulating the floor on the balcony

Let's look at how to make a warm floor on a balcony. To get a high-quality insulated floor, all seams and cracks should be sealed very well. Before you insulate the floor on the balcony with your own hands, you must complete good waterproofing floor on the loggia. For these purposes, it is easier to use polyurethane foam, silicone or sealant. You have to work carefully to make everything look beautiful. It is necessary to remove the remaining foam and clean up any silicone stains.

The heated floor design has two layers:

1. Draft with installed heating system;
2. Finishing with finishing.

As a top coating you can choose:

• marble slabs;
• porcelain stoneware;
• tiles;
• carpet;
• parquet board;
• laminate;
• linoleum.

The height of the base layer for insulation with any type of “warm floor” system should be 10-15 cm. The threshold will hide the difference in levels.

It is better to entrust the installation of heated floors to specialists. To save money Money You can do the screed yourself.

Tiles for finishing the loggia floor

On open loggia Any type of tile would be ideal, especially if the base is cement screed. The choice of color, pattern, texture is huge. Most often in the decoration you can find tiles, ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles. A floor made of such materials will be reliable and durable, of course, if you do not drop heavy objects on it. Tile floors have disadvantages: they are slippery and cold. As a rule, a warm rug is laid on such a floor.

The flooring on the balcony is laid as follows:

• Deleted old finish and prepares the surface for leveling.
• A waterproofing film is laid down.
• Insulation is being installed.
• Screed or leveling is done with a mixture.
• In the usual way using “crosses”, which are necessary to ensure that the seams are of equal thickness, the tiles are laid using the appropriate adhesive.
• Treating seams with grout or sealant.

The floor on the balcony is best made of durable porcelain stoneware. However, there are difficulties during installation: it is difficult to cut due to its strength. There is also a special tile that is laid without seams. It forms a smooth, solid surface, for example, like marble.

It was discussed how to properly make a floor on a balcony from various materials so that it turns out beautiful and lasts a very long time.

Most people living in urban areas have a balcony. Everyone decides for themselves whether it is a storage room, a warehouse for unnecessary rubbish, or a modern, elegant extension of the apartment.

While you are deciding on the purpose of your premises. Let's look at the materials and methods of finishing the floor on the balcony.

If we decide to make a continuation of the apartment, then we need high coefficient insulation. If it’s for storage, you can choose a cheaper option.

If we use a balcony as an open space, then we can use materials that are not afraid of temperature changes, high humidity. You will be able to realize all your ideas, think over the smallest details, choose finishing materials depending on the purpose of the balcony you have chosen.

Wooden floor on the balcony

Wooden floors are usually installed in well-ventilated and sealed balconies and loggias.

Hardwoods such as Oak and Yew are well suited for flooring. Average and soft rocks less suitable, as they are more susceptible to decay.

To prevent rotting and destroy pests, complete treatment with special solutions is required. You can make a wooden floor on the balcony with your own hands, for this we need to remove all the debris and repair all the chips and uneven areas.

After this, you need to take care of waterproofing, usually thick polyethylene or bitumen insulation. After this, we set the guides (logs) using a building level.

The logs can be placed both along the balcony and across it, maintaining a distance of 50-60 cm. They are attached with dowels to the base of the concrete floor.

The resulting structure is treated with a special compound that protects against moisture and bacteria. Insulation is placed in the resulting cavities, this can be polystyrene foam, mineral wool and other components.

The next stage is laying the boards on the joists. The boards are positioned transversely to the guide and secured with nails or self-tapping screws. Decorative coating mounted on top of boards (subfloor). After this, you can begin installing the plinth.

The most important advantage of a wooden floor on a balcony is that it is easy and quick to make with your own hands. As well as minimal load on the concrete floor. Mainly used in glazed, warm balconies.

Floor screed on the balcony

At this method When forming a floor on a balcony, you need to understand such concepts as loggia and balcony. What are their similarities and differences?

• The balcony is located on a slab, which is connected to the structure of the house at one point. Therefore, finishing the balcony needs to be made as light as possible so as not to overload the slab.
• The loggia is located on a slab, which is connected to the structure of the house at three points. The surface load has little effect on the quality of the slab. When finishing a loggia, it is possible to use almost all materials and technologies.

That is, the screed is perfect for a loggia, where there are practically no restrictions on the load. It is not recommended to use screed on the balcony, since the average thickness of the layer without heating is 3-4 cm.

And with the use of heated floor technology, all 4-6 cm. If we take an average balcony, then the mass of the screed will be approximately 450-600 kg. And this is without finishing coat.

We remove the debris, then prime the surface and wait for it to dry completely. After the primer has dried, we lay a vapor barrier, usually a layer of polystyrene foam.

Then a layer of waterproofing is laid, usually a thick oilcloth. Afterwards, the surface of the balcony is leveled with a screed made of sand-cement mixture, in a ratio of 3:1. We prime it with at least 2-3 layers.

Floor tiles on the balcony

A distinctive property of the tile is its durability and resistance to temperature changes. The tiles look beautiful on the floor and are also easy to clean.

Not a big drawback, it's that the tiles are very cold material, but this drawback can be solved with the help of a warm floor under a tiled covering.

The tiles have 5 wear resistance classes; the colder it is on the balcony, the higher the class the tile should be.

• Class 4-5 tiles are used for open and unglazed balconies with large dynamic loads.
• Class 2-3 tiles are used for a glazed and warm balcony with an average dynamic load.

Before laying the tiles, you need to prepare the floor on the balcony. We carry out the entire sequence of operations, as indicated in the section above, floor screed on the balcony.

After all preparatory work, you can start laying tiles; to do this, apply the adhesive solution in an even layer using a spatula and a comb.

Nowadays there is a large selection of adhesives for tiles; they are chosen depending on the conditions:

• Are there heated floors or not?
• Is the balcony glazed or not?

You can also use cement and sand in a ratio of 1 to 4, everything is thoroughly mixed with water and the solution is ready. The choice is yours.

It is recommended to lay tiles from far corner, one piece at a time. We tap on the surface of the tile with a rubber hammer, achieving the desired level, and also in this way the tile is in close contact with the adhesive base.

To ensure that all seams are similar, crosses are used. The size of the seam is adjusted by the size of the tile crosses. Another important point is that you should not skimp on glue, this is due to the fact that if a cavity forms under the tile, deformation and destruction of the tile itself is possible.

After all the tiles have been laid out and all the edges have been trimmed, you can remove the crosses from the seams between the tiles and grout them with grout mixtures. Recommendations from professionals: use the finished coating no earlier than 2-3 days after completion of work.

Self-leveling floor on the balcony

The next flooring option for loggias and balconies is a self-leveling floor. But this is not possible without surface preparation. We carry out the same sequence as for the screed.

When the screed is covered with primer and everything is dry, we apply the self-leveling floor. In a bucket, according to the manufacturer's instructions, we dilute the working mixture; for this it is best to use a hammer drill attachment.

The resulting solution has a consistency similar to sour cream. Since the resulting solution begins to set quite quickly, you will have to act quickly and carefully.

The process of mold and mildew formation will begin and a characteristic odor will appear. IN Lately special synthetic and natural linoleums who are not afraid of negative factors. But the price of such materials is very high.

This leads to the conclusion that linoleums are best used only in well-insulated enclosed loggias and balconies.

To lay linoleum, you will also need to prepare the surface, this can be a screed, a wooden floor or a self-leveling floor. Before laying linoleum on the prepared surface, it must be rolled out and allowed to sit for a couple of days, it should stretch and level out.

We adjust it to the size of the room. After it has rested, it must be rolled up to the middle. Apply glue thin layer on back side linoleum, as well as onto the surface of the prepared coating, roll out the linoleum, press down and go over it with a prepared rubber roller. We install the baseboards and you're done.

Electric floor on the balcony

If your balcony or loggia is completely glazed. You will need heating appliances. Traditional ones are bulky and clumsy, and there’s not enough space.

A floor heating system will come to our aid. The best option is an electric floor. The system weighs practically nothing, and copes with the heating task no worse than traditional devices.

This type coating is an expensive pleasure, but it fully justifies itself with the arrival of cold weather. And so we prime the surface of the base. C, we lay heating mats on top and make wiring.

The mats are not large in size, so they are laid out to their full length one after another until the entire surface of the balcony is filled. This is a rough run, we connected everything, made sure that there were no empty spaces, we rewind everything.

We remove the debris and prime again. We do the final installation using an adhesive base of the mats; we insulate all the wires. Afterwards, fill it with screed, followed by installation finishing material on the heated floor on the balcony (laminate, tiles). This type of floor is only suitable for closed balconies and loggias.

Floor painting

In the case when you don’t have time to do repairs or don’t want to. You can resort to the dyeing method. Nowadays there are special paints for concrete.

They contain polymers that protect the surface concrete floor, from the temperature gradient, high humidity, the occurrence of erosion. The coloring composition does not fade in the sun and has a wide range of colors.

Paints for concrete are divided into:

• Epoxy.
• Acrylic.
• Polyurethane.

All these paints are great for painting floors on the balcony. The dynamic load on the balcony is not large, so the paint will last a long time without losing its functions. Easy and convenient, you can repaint the floor surface.

Other types of flooring on the balcony

We have discussed the main types of flooring on the balcony. But there are still many other ways to make a floor on a balcony. Such as laying laminate, decking, garden parquet.

Laminate is afraid of moisture and is used mainly in closed, insulated balconies - a good substitute for parquet and wooden floors.

And decking and garden parquet are modern composite, polymer materials, suitable for both glazed and non-glazed balconies.

Decking is a wood-polymer composite. It has a board shape and is equipped with fastening mechanisms. Behind a short time collected on a concrete surface.

It has great strength and reliability. It was developed by specialists for outdoor use; the weight of the element is not significant, which is very important when used on a balcony. There is another not unimportant aesthetic fact, it is very similar to real boardwalk.

Garden parquet is a wood-polymer composite or wood. Thanks to special deep processing technologies, parquet is durable and does not biodegrade under any aggressive influences.

Garden parquet is convenient to use in balconies of any complexity, as it is produced in blocks with locking connections.

This will allow you to quickly install the flooring without any problems. Also, when not needed, it can be easily and conveniently dismantled, with the possibility of subsequent use.

More expensive options:

• Natural stone.
• Marble.
• Granite.
• Cork.

Natural stone, marble and granite are some of the most durable and expensive natural materials, and also have a lot of weight. Because of this, they can only be used on loggias.

The main disadvantage is that the materials are very cold; even in summer you will have to wear slippers.

Cork does not tolerate moisture. The service life of such a floor is 3-4 years, and then the cork collapses and becomes like dust.

When choosing a floor for a balcony, you need to consider many factors:

• Condition of the balcony slab
• Indoor humidity
• Temperature
• Cost of materials

Do you want to make your own balcony floor? It is not difficult. A beautifully furnished and comfortable apartment is great, but when you spend a lot of time looking for your own slippers, without which it is simply impossible to get on the balcony, since dust and dirt from it enter the room every time, the feeling of comfort is replaced by irritation. And the cold and wind force you to dress warmly and be prepared for all the vicissitudes of the weather outside the window.

But when you open the door of a balcony or loggia, you really want to “not go out” of the apartment onto the street and just find yourself in a small extension of the apartment or your own house.

Everyone who is familiar with this “balcony problem” is wondering how to make a floor on the balcony with your own hands?

Beginning of work

So, before starting work, it is necessary to empty the loggia or balcony of things that have been stored in this room for years.

Now it is important to decide what functions the room will perform, whether it will floor on open balcony or on closed, how much funds will be allocated for the work.

If you have a limited budget, it is recommended to stick to ordinary concrete, linoleum, and tiles. It is worth noting that ceramic tiles on the floor on the balcony look very impressive if they laid on a level surface.

Step-by-step preparation of the subfloor

1. Experts advise first of all to evaluate the evenness of the base. To do this, arm yourself with a special level. The second way is to pour some water on the floor and see if any puddles appear. If there are puddles, we can conclude that the liquid flows in one direction, which means you should think about how to level the floor on the balcony
2. It is customary to start installing the floor on a loggia or balcony with a high-quality screed. To apply the screed you need to have several beacons at your disposal - metal strips with a special reinforced profile. The lighthouses need to be divided into several segments according to the width of the balcony room and placed across the base approximately sixty centimeters apart. You can level the beacons using a level, as well as placing pieces of hardboard under them
3. Floor screed on the balcony open type should have a slight slope from the wall of the house. The beacons are aligned first individually and then according to the length of the balcony room. Do not rush to take measurements, do everything as carefully as possible, securing each beacon with high quality
4. Further using cement mortar and the trowel should be filled in the places where pieces of hardboard were placed for leveling and the remaining parts of the beacons
5. The hardening process of the mixture will take about two hours, but be careful, nothing can be done on the balcony during this period of time
6. Need to clean the next day top part floor surfaces from beacons, as well as excess cement mortar
7. For edging balcony slab you will need three metal corners, which are secured to the finished screed
8. Self-leveling floor on the balcony implies the creation wooden structure from the beams necessary to hold the solution. The bars are fixed by outside the railings are at the very base, and the gaps between them and the floor are covered. At the end of the work, a specific formwork is formed that must be removed

How to make a floor screed

1. Installing a floor on a balcony requires two bags of dry mixture required for pouring. When kneading the mixture, it is important to achieve a result resembling the consistency semolina porridge
2. Approximately 3 kilograms of pure cement are added to 1 bag of specialized mixture. The base is pre-primed using a deep penetration primer
3. The finished solution must be poured out and leveled with a trowel. The mixture is smoothed out, usually with small movements made directly along the edges of the beacons towards the edge of the wall. By pressing the rule tighter, you will achieve a perfectly flat surface.
4. It will take several days to dry the screed. Carefully remove the formwork, correct any defects with a steep mortar along the edges of the screed
5. All subsequent steps strictly depend on the decision, how to cover the floor on a balcony or loggia. For concrete flooring, only a light surface screed followed by attachment will be sufficient. metal corners along the perimeter

How to raise the floor on the balcony and insulate it

In the process of raising the floor on the balcony, you get unused space, which can be used with great benefit.

Please note: your balcony will become much warmer if you decide to make a warm floor on the balcony using special insulation.

You will need:

• Plywood (20 mm chipboard or OSB)
• Drill or screwdriver
• Polystyrene foam or penofol as insulation
• Wooden beam (40 x 40 or 30 x 40 mm)
• Pencil, tape measure and bubble level
• Manual a circular saw, electric jigsaw or a grinder with a disc, a hammer drill, a hacksaw
• Black screws for wood (65 mm), dowel (80 mm)

Insulating the floor on the balcony and its preliminary lifting is possible without the help of specialists.

We prepare the floor and materials for installation

If you are going to make the floor on the balcony with your own hands, you should start with preparation. This will not take much time, because all you need is to treat the floor with an ordinary primer for concrete (in case concrete covering), and the timber is antiseptic. Thanks to this measure, various living creatures will not grow in the floor, and it will not become moldy over time. After the surface has completely dried, you can begin the main work.

Installation and insulation of floors

• Using a hammer drill and quick installation, the rough timber is attached across the balcony
• Next, the width of the balcony room is measured (in Khrushchev buildings it is usually equals 105 cm), and the timber is cut one centimeter smaller so that its installation can be done without difficulty. Wooden products should be laid on the floor in increments of approximately 40 cm, then you need to “drill” them through to the floor and secure them with dowels (in three places)
• Be careful, the deeper the dowels are in the concrete, the stronger the beam will hold in the future. That is why it is advisable to use dowels 80 mm long
• For subsequent insulation of the floor, foam plastic, the thickness of which is 30 mm, is placed in the cells between the floor and the timber. Lay the foam tightly, avoiding the formation of cracks. You need to roll out a layer of penofol on top, cut it to length and lay it up with foil
• TO bottom beam(screwed tightly) a longitudinal beam should be screwed through the penofol. It is recommended to start from the wall when laying products every 25 cm. To begin with, just screw it on, then the height will be leveled
• By using bubble level you need to find the highest point of the floor, from which you will have to push off in the future. In places where the floor needs to be raised, unscrew the screws already screwed in and place plywood or wooden pieces of the required thickness
• With a level in your hands, follow from the highest point and check along and across each self-tapping screw that was screwed earlier. If necessary, you will need to unscrew them and place planks. Upon completion, you can re-lay the layer of penofol and polystyrene foam
• Experts advise that after laying the insulation and raising the floor, do it on the walls of the balcony (right in the middle of the beam) marks on both sides

Waterproofing the floor on the balcony

1. Sealing seams
2. Cleaning the floor covering and wetting it with water
3. Treatment with penetrating waterproofing agent
4. Thorough drying
5. Wetting and re-treatment with penetrating mixture

Advice: to ensure very reliable floor protection, waterproofing is carried out on top of the penetrating sealant using polystyrene foam and foil insulation.

Only after high-quality waterproofing can you begin finishing the floor on the balcony.

Laying wooden flooring on the balcony

Most profitable solution for the balcony floor there is chipboard, plywood or OSB. Because the chipboard material It is characterized by low moisture resistance and environmental friendliness; it is recommended to use plywood or OSB.

Using a grinder with a wood disc or any other tool that is comfortable for you, you need to cut a piece from the selected material, the width of which is one centimeter less than the width of the balcony, and lay it directly on the logs. You can lay the flooring material and then screw it in place, or you can screw it in right away. To see where you need to screw in the screws, you should connect the marks made in advance on the balcony walls.

At the end of the work, you can cover the floor on the balcony with linoleum or lay down the underlay and begin installing the laminate.

Floor on the balcony photo

Below are photographs on the topic of the article “Do-it-yourself balcony floor: instructions and installation.” To open the photo gallery, just click on the image thumbnail.

DIY balcony floor video

We also invite you to watch the video on the topic of our article. The video shows in detail the entire process of laying heated floors on a balcony or loggia.

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Discuss the article

To the post “Do-it-yourself balcony floor: instructions and installation” 8 comments

The floor on the balcony is quite simple to make. It is only necessary to make the necessary layers of waterproofing and vapor barrier for the floor. Also, it is advisable to lay a new floor together with insulation. It is advisable to use mineral wool or regular foam. It’s just that if insulation is needed later, you will have to dismantle the entire new floor.

Last summer, my husband and I only managed to make a screed on the balcony, then they installed it for us plastic windows and panels. After these repair work we just threw a piece of linoleum on the floor and left everything for a year. Now we need to complete the repairs on the balcony, so the action plan and recommendations outlined in the article will be very useful. We are going to make the floor out of plywood, and then lay good linoleum. It seems that everything is clear and simple, the main thing is to start!

I would like to ask the author, because after reading the article there was some kind of ambivalence left or how to put it, first two branches are given for open and closed balconies and then there is a story about methods of insulating and covering the floor on the balcony. I think according to by and large on an open balcony, laying the floor is a waste of time and money. It won’t add any comfort, and it will break down very quickly.

Happy owners of a loggia often think about how to turn this additional room in the apartment into a cozy corner for a comfortable pastime at any time of the year. The easiest task in renovating a loggia is installing the floor. In order to save money, you can carry out the process yourself. What should the floor on the loggia be like? When starting work, you should rely on several criteria:

1. Resistant to temperature changes.
2. Warm and pleasant surface for feet.
3. Ease of use.
4. Lightness of materials used for installation.

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Preliminary work

Before considering flooring options, you need to prepare the floor for finishing. This procedure involves the following steps:

1. We remove old screed, paint, linoleum, tiles, as well as unnecessary things from the loggia.
2. We eliminate pockets of dampness or rotting.
3. We plug the cracks through which rain and snow seep.
4. Spray with a construction preparation against fungi.

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Sequence of operations

1. Waterproofing. The surface is lined with a special film or covered with waterproof plaster.
2. Thermal insulation. Mineral wool, penoplex, polystyrene foam, that is, any materials with a low thermal conductivity coefficient, are suitable here.
3. Leveling the surface. If there are small defects, it is customary to use a self-leveling mixture. Large defects can be leveled out using a screed, or logs, which are cross beams made of hard wood, can be installed under the wood flooring. As a rule, the floor level of the living area and the loggia are different, therefore, with the help of logs, we raise the floor on the loggia to the required level. In addition, if there is a need to raise the floor by 20 cm, a layer of expanded clay will allow this to be done.
4. Primer. This product increases the strength of the base and promotes better bonding with it. floor covering. For wood surfaces, it is customary to use an alkyd or polystyrene primer; the concrete base is treated with an epoxy variety, applying it two or three times.

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Finish options

Painting

The most basic technique, appropriate for any type of loggia. It is best to buy paint whose main component is acrylic, polyurethane or epoxy. This option is characterized by resistance to atmospheric influences. To prevent paint from getting on the walls, you should use masking tape.

Tree

First of all, we form a frame from the beams that resembles a box and additionally strengthen one beam in the middle of the structure. Provide long term The service of the floor will be helped by covering its surface with varnish. The next step is to sew the beams together using self-tapping screws and corners, and then attach the frame to the concrete base using dowel-nails. Then we lay boards perpendicular to the joists and fix them.

If the wood is of low quality, it should be treated and covered with linoleum. Due to the fact that the tree is light, it can be used to decorate not only a loggia, but also a semi-loggia.

Ceramic tile

To avoid injury the best option will lay tiles with a rough surface. To complete this work, you must stock up on the following materials:

1. Ceramic tile.
2. Building level.
3. Tile cutter.
4. Mortar: cement or adhesive.
5. Cross-shaped beacons.

It is better to lay out the tiles from the door or from the corner from which you can only see the entire finishing details. Using a spatula, spread the solution over the inside of the subfloor and the back surface of the tiles. The distance from one tile to another must be the same, to achieve this, we install cross-shaped beacons. Lay the tiles along construction level. Having completed the procedure, it is necessary to hide the seams under a layer of putty.

Porcelain tiles

This type of coating is characterized by durability and strength, resistance to abrasion and scratches, and is not afraid of changes in temperature and humidity. Besides, color palette material is very wide, it gives limitless possibilities designers.

Cork floor

It has become widespread these days. There are several varieties of it:

• Technical traffic jam. Most often it plays the role of a substrate for another type of coating, insulates and insulates. It is produced in rolls or plates, much less often in granules. They can be used to fill holes in the floor or gaps between coverings.
• Adhesive. Is a tile rectangular shape, decorated on top with decorative veneer, which is coated with polymer. Its color can be either natural or imitating marble or granite.
• Floating. It has the same structure as the previous version, but differs from it in the installation method: like in a puzzle, the plates are connected to each other by grooves, without glue.

Self-leveling floor 3D

Properties of this floor:

1. Not afraid of scratches.
2. Resistance to moisture.
3. Strength.
4. Aesthetics.
5. Practicality.
6. Durability.
7. It's easy to care for.

It’s easy to make such a floor with your own hands. First you need to fill the floor liquid base light or neutral color. Then apply paint using a roller. After this, apply a second layer of paint, it can be in other colors. And finally paste on a drawing purchased in the store.

Linoleum

However, it is worth remembering that linoleum is vulnerable to mechanical stress (for example, pressure from heavy objects) and is deformed if laid on an uneven surface. To lay linoleum yourself, you need several tools:

1. Hammer.
2. Nails.

First of all, unroll the material and straighten it thoroughly. When installing, the coating should be leveled to avoid defects and bumps. Fix the linoleum to the surface using conventional or liquid nails. Having completed the process, you need to secure the coating with a baseboard of a suitable color.

Laminate

It is a widespread, environmentally pure material By affordable price. By appearance resembles parquet and has a number of useful properties:

1. Serves for many years.
2. Strength.
3. Practicality.
4. Easy to install.
5. Nice appearance.

On the eve of installation, as usual, the coating is allowed to lie in a warm room for about two days.

For installation you will need a number of tools:

1. Hammer.
2. Saw.
3. Roulette.
4. Clamp.
5. Square.
6. Wedges.
7. Pencil.
8. A block of wood.

It is customary to lay laminate flooring only on a perfectly flat surface. Secure the wedges to the wall and threshold. Start the procedure from the side opposite the door. Installation can be done diagonally, lengthwise or crosswise. For greater reliability, move each new row at least forty centimeters.

Between the material and the wall it is necessary to provide space for the plinth; this distance should be approximately ten millimeters. Next, you need to connect the laminate plates together using the locks that each covering element is equipped with.

There are three types of locks:

• Connection using the "constructor" method. Raise the finished row of laminate and attach another piece to it. The resulting strips of plates are fastened together.
• Connection using the "tamping" method. The elements are fixed along the length, after which they need to be tapped in order to be connected along the width.
• The connection is made through a plastic insert; it secures the plate across its width.

Parquet

Appeared earlier than laminate and has similar technical properties. This coating must certainly have a protective layer (paint or varnish). Installation of parquet flooring must be carried out at a temperature of at least 18 degrees. On the eve of the process, the coating must be unpacked and left to rest for a long time, at least a week.