Heated floor on the balcony

Recently, the issue of preserving heat in our apartments for many people has become very acute because of not only the increase in utility tariffs, but also the improvement of the energy efficiency of their homes, as well as the desire to save. Since most of the houses were built in Soviet times, it is clear that their energy efficiency, as well as heat retention, is small. Especially this issue will be important in the context of the balcony.

Many today want to make it residential. And here without such a thing as a warm floor, just can not do. Without it, the maximum temperature that can be obtained is 15 degrees, which does not meet the criteria for a dwelling. All heated floors on the balcony work on the principle of an electric heater.Water floor heating on the balcony is prohibited.

Creating such floors on the balcony has its advantages and disadvantages. The warm floor is associated with comfort. Walking on the cold floor is not only uncomfortable, but it can also cause a cold. But warm floors allow you to warm the room completely.

The second advantage will be the possibility of expanding your own home by adding living space. As soon as the owner has installed a warm floor on the balcony, he can style it as a study, living room or dining room. But without a warm floor, a balcony can only be a storage room or a warehouse.

Another advantage will be a small savings in electricity, as warm floors use less energy than existing heaters of various types.. And this will be very important in the winter, given the relatively high utility rates, and will also be an excellent step towards energy efficiency.

Now let's talk about the disadvantages of this type of heating. The first disadvantage is a long installation. To equip the balcony with thermal floor should spend a lot of time and effort.Regardless of how uneven the floor on the balcony, it will have to be cleaned, leveled, installed, adjusted, and insulated. The choice of quality coverage, which will be above the warm floor, also requires a lot of time to spend.

The second disadvantage will be substantial cash costs.

The last significant disadvantage is the deformation. This deficiency can occur when the underfloor heating system is installed incorrectly or with impairments. In this case, the flooring can quickly break down and deform other parts of the space. That is why only experienced professionals should be trusted to install flooring.

As already mentioned, underfloor heating can be done on the basis of several technologies:

• Electric;
• Water.

If we talk about the electric heat field, then it can be:

• With cable system;
• Based on mats;
• Infrared.

The first category is the simplest. This type of heating goes well with laminate. In this system, the heating element is a wire. For a comfortable system, you need a voltage of about 150 watts per square meter.After the wire is laid, the screed is applied with the help of cement, and after hardening, the floor is laid on the floor.

This mechanism also has drawbacks, the main of which is the need to ensure the waterproofing of the balcony slab. This entails an increase in the floor level on the balcony of about 12-15 centimeters. And at the entrance to the room it can be uncomfortable.

The disadvantage is that the screeds create additional stress on the slab itself, which may be critical for old buildings. In addition, you can use the floor no earlier than 4 weeks. It is necessary that the screed is completely frozen. Otherwise, everything will start to deteriorate very quickly and pretty soon everything will have to be redone.

If we talk about infrared floors, then this type would be a great solution for small rooms. The advantage is that it can be used in conjunction with any floor covering, including carpet and laminate. The principle of operation is to emit infrared waves that are in a certain range. In this case, the heating element is strips of carbon paste, connected by lavsan.The paste is based on a mixture of slate and certain additives. The conductor of electricity will be the copper wire.

If we talk about heating mats, they are made in the form of a grid with a fixed cable inside, through which electricity is transmitted. His veins can be created from various materials. The main criterion is the presence of high resistance of this material. If you warm the floor mats, then waterproofing is not needed. The grid most often has the size in width somewhere 50 centimeters. It only needs to be rolled out and set the finish. If the flooring chosen tile, then the mats can be as if invested in a special composition. Then it is not necessary to do something with the balcony floor, and it is possible to use the construction in 7 days. It is also very easy to operate such a warm floor.

In water heated floors, heating is due to the presence of a radiator, which is located in a concrete screed. According to many experts, this heating option is the best for the balcony. Only by law is it prohibited. This design has a low cost, is universal and simple.

Without insulation to make a warm floor on the balcony is simply impossible. But what is best to use for this? Experts suggest the use of such materials for thermal insulation:

• Penoplex;
• Polyfoam and materials from it;
• Penofol;
• Mineral wool.

If we talk about Penolex, it is distinguished from others by a very high cost. But his properties are also quite good - he does not miss sounds, steam, and also perfectly withstands physical and chemical damage. It is also easy to install. The only thing that discourages many from using it is a very high price.

Penofol is a compound that is a combination of foamed polyethylene and foil. The material not only retains heat well, but also has good thermal insulation properties, and also absorbs noise well. Penofol can be of two types:

• Unilateral;
• Double sided.

Most often, this material for insulation is used in private homes.

Polyfoam and other similar materials are a cheap substitute for the above insulation. It perfectly retains heat, making it a fairly effective solution.

If we talk about mineral wool, it is also considered an effective insulation material, as it is easy to use and perfectly protects the floor from cold. It consists of glass materials that are first melted, then pulled, cooled and crushed. The disadvantage of the material is poor resistance to water and moisture, which is why mineral wool can only be used in conjunction with waterproofing.

There are a lot of insulation materials on the market and the selection should be carried out depending on the conditions at each specific facility.

The issue of leveling and raising the floor is an important preparatory stage in creating a warm floor. On an uneven floor, the whole structure will very quickly become unusable. Its effectiveness will also be a big question. To do this yourself, you must first check the plate for the presence of various kinds of damage and irregularities, which are eliminated by pouring cement and subsequent alignment. This is called the screed. Sometimes for this it is necessary to use reinforcement.

Another way is to make the floor on the logs.. In this case, some even do without heating systems. Through the use of lags, the floor rises by ten or even twenty centimeters and is often compared to the level of the threshold. Not the last aspect is the fact that the tree retains heat well.

Installation of a warm floor is quite simple and is implemented as follows. If necessary, the balcony plate is leveled using reinforcement and cement. After that, the screed is carried out, which allows to reduce to a single level the floor in the room and on the balcony. If the homeowner intends to combine the premises, then this will not do. You can’t do anything on the balcony during the week, as the screed must dry.

After that, proceed to the laying of the barrier, as well as a layer of insulation. Even a conventional heat reflector may be suitable as the latter. It remains only to lay the electrical system or pipe. Everything will depend on the selected category of underfloor heating.

If we are talking about the installation of a water system, then we must first understand how the mechanism will be carried out - from the riser or from the battery. If you want to save, it is better to make a supply from the radiator.After all the preparatory work is carried out, the installation of pipes begins. They are fixed on special brackets or rugs. First, markup should be applied, as pipes will be laid. For economy it is better to stack them with a snake. The distance between the pipes should be slightly more than 20 centimeters. After marking, it is required to distribute the brackets, taking into account the bends. For straight pipes, fastenings should be located somewhere at a distance of 60 centimeters, and where there are bends, the distance will be less. After the pipes are laid, it remains to simply pour the screed over the structure.

For more information on how to install a water heated floor, you can see the following video:

If it was decided to make an electric floor, then everything will be even easier. A heat-insulating layer is laid on the prepared screed, after which the tape is mounted for installation. After that, mats are laid on this layer, or a cord that will conduct current. The next step is the installation of the thermostat. It is best to install it on the wall. It remains to fill the screed and the floor will be ready.

You can learn about the installation of electric floor heating on the basis of mats from the video below:

Many for some reason do not pay enough attention to the finish coating, but in vain. It also depends, to a certain extent, the effectiveness of a warm floor.

If the owner of the apartment is interested in saving, then the simplest option is to simply paint the screed. It looks good, but it will be necessary to do it once every two or three years. Alternatively, you can make a wooden floor. In this case, the load on the slab will be zero, but the tree must meet certain parameters. To make it last a long time, waterproofing will be needed. Although, if you wish, you can simply varnish it.

Another interesting option is PVC tile. It consists of modules that are easy to assemble and disassemble. It is easy to clean, and it will not be afraid of moisture. In addition, it is available in different colors.

Someone uses the already proven coating - self-leveling floor. It is aesthetic, quite easy to maintain and can be poured onto any type of floor heating. Yes, and it will retain its integrity and original appearance even with a small temperature difference.But, it is still better to warm the balcony before such a floor is applied.

According to the old tradition, many people prefer to lay linoleum or laminate, or even plywood in general. Indeed, what could be simpler and more economical than to throw a piece of material and fix it with the help of baseboards? If you are looking for practicality and want to save, then these options are for you.

And if the homeowner wants to impress everyone with his originality, then the glass floor is the best solution for him. In this case, a very thick laminated glass is used, which, if damaged, will not break apart into pieces. It will be a great solution because of its insulating properties. The glass floor will provide an opportunity to divide the room into cold and warm areas. Another advantage will be the possibility of combining with different types of coverage.

About ideas in the interior design of the balcony can talk a lot and for a long time. But it is important to understand that interesting and successful solutions in each case will be individual depending on the parameters of the balcony itself. First of all, it should be remembered that it is a limited space, and often too limited, and therefore its design should be as functional as possible. You can use the following design techniques:

• The technique should be easy to build and adjust;
• If you decide to make some boxes and departments for tools, then do them best under the ceiling;
• It is better to make cabinets suspended, and tables and shelves - as compact as possible;
• Fixtures better to mount over the entire area of ​​the balcony;
• It is better to use blinds and curtains, rather than drapes and curtains.

The design style of the balcony can be anything, as long as the owner likes it and does not stand out too much from the overall concept of the room design.

For example, if you decide that you will put tiles on a balcony, it is better to use classical styles. For example, dark brown furniture will look best with pastel tile. In this case, in the corners of the balcony will not be superfluous to install pots with plants or flowers or small partitions with them.

If you decide to give preference to the wooden floor, then the balcony will look great in the style of Provence or Country. Also, delicate shades of pink in the overall design with the standard colors of the parquet will look no less interesting because of its unusual combination.

If you are a supporter of the high-tech style, then in this case it may be as tile or laminate. For a good illumination of the indicated type of interior, you can make the illumination over the entire area of ​​the floor, or use the technique of placing the light sources in the corners. It will also provide an opportunity to create an optical effect of increasing the area of ​​the balcony.

An interesting solution may also be a rubber crumb floor. The covering has all necessary qualities, and also has no effect of sliding. An important advantage of it will be a variety of colors. Yes, and the originality of such a floor - there is.

Also, if funds are available, the floors can be made of glass. They can also be divided into temperature sections, which looks solid and beautiful.