Do-it-yourself redecoration of the balcony

In detail: do-it-yourself redecoration of the balcony from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The presence of a balcony or loggia allows you to increase the area of the apartment with their competent arrangement.

In order to translate into reality various ideas aimed at achieving the desired result, you will have to carry out repair work.

What should be done and in what order? Consider in this article.

At this stage, you need to do the following:

1) draw up an installation diagram and purchase all materials;

2) dismantle old structures (remove windows, balcony blocks and remove trim);

3) if necessary, you can knock down the old screed or remove the old wooden floor, and check the condition of the balcony slab (if there are potholes on it, from which the reinforcement protrudes, it must be treated with a rust converter, and the potholes must be plastered);

4) it is best to level the surface of the walls (in this case, it will be much easier to finish the finish);

5) to create a reliable fence, you can use blocks of foam concrete, laying them with edges on a special adhesive mixture (the old parapet can be left in its place).

Advice: foam blocks should not be confused with gas blocks, since the latter absorb moisture very strongly and are not suitable for arranging a balcony fence.

It can be accomplished using materials such as:

- metal-plastic profile (optimal in price, durable and perfectly retains heat for a long time);

- aluminum (as a rule, it is installed on loggias that are not intended for insulation);

- wood (the most expensive material, which, in addition to everything, is highly susceptible to moisture).

The sequence of work related to the glazing of balconies or loggias is as follows:

Video (click to play).

1) on a parapet equipped with foam blocks, using a building level, a window frame is placed strictly vertically and fixed with self-tapping screws or anchor bolts (at least two on each side);

2) a window sill is installed on the inside of the balcony or loggia under the frame;

3) and from the outside - low tide;

4) after that, a double-glazed window is installed in each window frame;

5) all cracks formed during glazing must be sealed with polyurethane foam (this will not only help retain heat, but also create reliable protection against various sounds coming from the street);

6) after drying, the protruding parts of the foam are cut off with a clerical knife and these places are covered with special overlays.

To create a comfortable environment on the territory of a balcony or loggia, it is imperative to bring in electrical wires for installing an outlet, a switch and lighting lamps.

To prevent these wires from spoiling the interior, they must be laid in the corners or hidden in special channels made in the walls. Light sources can be a variety of lamps or LED backlighting.

To create comfortable conditions on the territory of the inner space of the loggia, it will be necessary to insulate all surfaces through which the heat from the apartment can escape to the street.

First, the cracks are closed and waterproofing work is performed. After that, they draw up an installation diagram and carry out the purchase of materials.

There are two ways to insulate this surface, each of which depends on the coating material (we are talking about a wooden or concrete field).

For a wooden floor, the sequence of work is as follows:

1) a film of waterproofing material is laid on top of the balcony slab;

3) sheets of insulation are laid in the formed gaps, which can be polystyrene or mineral wool;

4) another layer of waterproofing is laid (it is necessary to protect the insulation from water ingress during wet cleaning of the floor);

5) cover it all with a floorboard or sheets of OSB plates, fixing them to the logs with self-tapping screws;

6) the formed surface is covered with several layers of paint or varnish.

Advice: in no case should chipboard sheets be used as flooring, since this material is very afraid of moisture (swells and collapses).

For a floor made with a concrete screed, the sequence of work is as follows:

1) first, they equip a rough screed made of cement mortar (with its help they try to smooth out the unevenness of the balcony slab as much as possible);

2) then the sheets of expanded polystyrene are laid close to each other (in the case of the formation of gaps or cracks, they are sealed with polyurethane foam);

3) a waterproofing film is spread over them and a reinforcing mesh is laid;

4) then put up beacons and fill in a finishing screed 5–7 mm thick, leveling it with a small rule.

Such a system can work either with a heated coolant or from an electrical network using elements specially designed for this purpose (we are talking about an electric cable, heating mats, or a film covering that emits infrared rays).

If the apartment is not equipped with a water floor heating system, then in this case the use of electric heating will be the most appropriate.

Peculiarities

1. An electric cable intended for heating is placed on top of a layer of insulation, after which a finishing screed is poured. When the concrete is dry, floor tiles are glued to it.

The advantages of this method are that the cable connected to the electrical network heats up over time and transfers its heat to the concrete, which, in turn, heats the entire floor area.

2. As for the heating mats, they can be placed in a layer of tile adhesive, on top of which the tiles are laid.

3. To place an infrared-emitting film on the floor, a heat-reflecting material must first be laid on top of the rough screed. The final coating can be tiles, linoleum, etc.

If it is necessary to insulate the ceiling, it is imperative to seal all the cracks using polyurethane foam before starting work. Otherwise, condensation will accumulate between the layer of insulation and the upper ceiling of the balcony, which will eventually lead to the formation of mold.

There are two ways to insulate the ceiling:

1) build a wooden frame and lay the sheets of insulation in the gaps thus formed, then fix the vapor barrier on top of the insulation and hide it all behind the finishing;

2) fix the penoplex on the upper balcony slab using special dowels (they are also called "umbrellas"), lay a layer of vapor barrier and, having built a wooden frame, close it all with plastic panels.

Only those sides of the loggia that are not adjacent to the apartment should be insulated. Insulation sheets can either be glued with glue and additionally attached with dowels, or placed in the gaps between the previously equipped frame.

Then (in both the first and second cases) a layer of vapor barrier is laid. Finally, the installation of the topcoat is carried out, which can be used, for example, plastic panels or other materials.

To carry out work related to the interior decoration of balconies or loggias, you can use various building materials, but the most practical among them are:

- wallpapers of various types, tiles and whitewash (recently they have been used very rarely due to the loss of their relevance).

Let's take a quick look at the benefits of each of these materials:

The lining made of wood, although it has a high price, but it has a beautiful appearance and is made of natural material that does not have a negative effect on the human body. It is mounted on a wooden crate with self-tapping screws. Upon completion of the work, the surface equipped in this way should be covered with several layers of varnish, each of them sequentially dried.

PVC panels are durable and harmless material that is very easy to cut, install and wet clean. Installation is carried out in a similar way.

MDF panels are also expensive because of their beauty and strength. Using such a material, you can imitate the surface of marble, granite or expensive wood. Installation is carried out by analogy with clapboard made of wood or PVC panels.

Using moisture-resistant drywall as a finish, structures of varying complexity can be made. As a rule, it is mounted with self-tapping screws on a metal frame consisting of galvanized profiles. It can also be fixed to the walls with dowels or special glue. A prerequisite for using such drywall as a finish is a high-quality waterproofing of the walls of a balcony or loggia.

Decorative stone brings its zest to the interior decoration of the loggia. The territory of the balcony, equipped in this way, looks dignified and elegant. This material is harmless to humans and can serve for many years.

For a longer service life of all building materials involved in the repair, the balcony or loggia must be heated in the cold season.

If the "warm floor" system is not used as a heat source, you can use various heaters powered by the electrical network.

Applying all the above tips, and consistently translating each of the stages of work into reality, you can repair balconies or loggias of varying complexity, using the most practical building materials.

What does a loggia mean to you? For some, it's just a place to store old things or drying clothes, while others turn it into a cozy relaxation area, gym or greenhouse. Loggia is an integral part of modern comfortable housing, therefore, its transformation should be treated with special responsibility.

Some construction work requires the intervention of professionals, but you can equip a loggia with your own hands. And without excessive efforts, the loggia can be turned into a multifunctional, comfortable and beautiful room that gives a special charm and coziness to the living space.

In this article, we will talk about how to make a loggia repair with your own hands, what basic steps it consists of and what materials will be required for this.

Before repairing the loggia, preparatory work should be carried out - remove the old casing, break off, unscrew and take out everything that was not originally included in the loggia package.

Next, you need to check the existing destruction. For example, if cracks or crevices were found along the edges of the slab, then they need to be repaired. To do this, the surface is initially cleaned of all kinds of debris, stones or chipping parts. Next, the damaged area is treated with a primer, and after it dries, a cement layer is applied. If the destruction is not very large, then one layer will be sufficient. The cement mixture must be glue-based, otherwise the self-made cement-sand mixture may erode and crack over time.

Cement surfaces should also be checked for a variety of voids and then carefully cemented if present.

If the loggia is seriously damaged, then it is better to use the services of construction teams.

Before finishing the loggia, you need to select all the required materials. A variety of materials are used for thermal insulation of the premises - from traditional mineral wool to modern high-quality expanded polystyrene. The parapet is trimmed with siding or decorative panels. Wooden panels must be treated with antiseptics and fire retardants.

To repair a loggia, the price of which depends on many factors, you will need: expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam with a thickness of 4-6 centimeters, moisture-resistant sheets of drywall and gypsum fiber, foil-clad polyethylene film, foil-clad polyethylene foam, polyethylene foam without toluene, self-tapping screws.

For those who want, first of all, to protect their apartment from external influences, and puts sound insulation into the background, then you can install ordinary wooden frames. Such glazing will, of course, muffle external sounds, but not as efficiently as possible. The advantages of this method of installing glazing are relatively low cost, easy installation and good fresh air permeability.

If you want to achieve maximum comfort on the loggia, then install plastic windows. This method protects as much as possible from wind, noise and other external influences, helps to maintain the temperature, regardless of the season.

The service life of plastic windows is quite long, however, with such glazing, there will be no free air circulation in the apartment.

The first stage in the installation of plastic glazing is the assembly of the window structure - insulating glass units, sashes and a sandwich panel are removed, and the frames are connected one to one and to the expansion elements.

Further, elements for fastening are installed to this structure.

The third stage of glazing installation is the leveling of the window structure. For this, it is best to use self-tapping screws, since they guarantee reliable fastening.

Then, a facing corner is mounted to the window structure on the sides and on top, and an ebb tide is mounted on the bottom.

The next stage is filling the openings between the walls and the window with polyurethane foam.

After all these procedures, double-glazed windows, a sandwich panel, sash and other additional components are installed.

Important: after glazing the loggia, you should carefully check the sealing, as it significantly reduces heat loss, saws and noise.

The next step in arranging the loggia is the installation of lighting. For lighting, you can use any lighting fixtures - mounted on the wall or ceiling, built-in or conventional. It all depends on preferences, fantasies and room design. In addition, sockets and switches can be installed on the loggia. For this, a cable with three conductors of one and a half square cross-section is suitable.

After installing high-quality plastic windows, you need to insulate the walls, ceiling and floor.

The walls are insulated with heat-insulating material, for example, foam or expanded polystyrene, which are attached to the wall, respectively, with wooden slats or dowels with a plastic head. All joints must be carefully treated with polyurethane foam to avoid cold ingress, and the joints between the sheets of insulation are pasted over with tape.

Important: Polyurethane foam should not include toluene, as it can dissolve polystyrene foam.

The next step is to attach a vapor barrier and a reflective layer. For this, foil, polyethylene film or foamed polyethylene is most often used. The vapor barrier is attached end-to-end with tape or polyurethane-based glue.

Ceiling insulation is carried out using the same technology, however, you can also use a suspended ceiling as a heater and hide all the necessary wiring for lighting the loggia under it.

Initially, transverse joists are attached to the ceiling, to which the facing material will be screwed in the future. Styrofoam is placed between the lags.All joints must be filled with polyurethane foam.

Wallpaper is not the best option for finishing the loggia, since there is high humidity and significant temperature changes in this room. The loggia requires a moisture-resistant finishing material - wall panels, moisture-resistant drywall, plastic or wooden lining are ideal.

Before finishing the loggia with panels, the walls must be upholstered with a cork or wooden frame. Then, panels or other finishing material are already being installed by connecting them together.

It should be noted that connecting the panels to the frame is not difficult - the process is simplified by the fact that the tongue of the groove on the outside is slightly shorter than the tongue on the back.

If you want to finish not only the walls, but also the ceiling, then you need to start by installing the lag on the ceiling.

In most cases, it is enough to mount only 3 logs on the ceiling: place one log in the middle, and the other two along the long walls.

Decorating the walls with wooden clapboard will add extra coziness, comfort and aesthetic appearance to the entire room.

Do-it-yourself loggia repair - photos of illustrative examples of wall and ceiling cladding.

There can be several ways to insulate the floor of the loggia:

Logs are attached to the floor in the longitudinal direction, which will serve as the basis for the future floor. Then they are fixed with the help of polyurethane foam. Insulating material, such as foam or mineral blocks, is placed between the logs. To ensure maximum contact of the insulation with the floor, a plaster mixture is used. If ordinary mineral wool is used as thermal insulation, then it should cover the entire surface with a uniform layer. Next, a tongue-and-groove flooring is mounted on the logs using self-tapping screws.

The thickness of the screed should be 4 centimeters, and a temperature gap of 1 centimeter must be left between the screed and the wall. To do this, before installing the screed around the perimeter, you need to draw a strip 1 centimeter thick of foamed polyethylene. After the screed has hardened, ceramic tiles are attached to it with glue.

screed with underfloor heating system

Initially, the floor should be leveled with a screed. Next, the heating cable is placed and securely attached to the screed with construction tape. The power of the cable is determined from the conditions of 90-100 watts per square meter of the loggia.

Then a self-leveling mixture with a thickness of 1-1.5 centimeters is poured, completely covering the heat-conducting elements.

After that, ceramic tiles or other finishing material are laid. This method is the most optimal, but it requires more significant material costs.

This stage fully depends on the imagination of the owner of the living space. The only limitation can be financial possibilities. The loggia can be turned into a secluded, cozy place for drinking tea, playing sports, relaxing with friends, or furnish it with a variety of flowers. It is worth noting that the cost of repairing a loggia depends entirely on the chosen finishing material and the style of the loggia.

The main thing is that the design of the loggia fully corresponds to the general idea of the interior of the apartment and can bring only positive emotions to the owners.

Consider the most common ideas for redecorating a loggia.

greenhouse, flower garden. To do this, you should take care of additional lighting and heating. But these costs are fully compensated by the plants blooming all year round.

tea room. To create a cozy interior, it will be enough to put a small wooden table, a couple of armchairs and lay a carpet with a large pile on the floor.

study. If you have a small apartment, then you can equip a personal office on the loggia - put a computer desk, a chair and additional lighting.

gym. Equipping the loggia with small exercise machines, you can safely go in for sports without disturbing others.

Very often, to increase the space, the loggia is combined with the room.

Balcony redecoration involves simple repairs that you can do yourself in a couple of days. We give instructions.

Ideally, on the balcony, you need to remove everything to the concrete in order to make an insulated "pillow". This already applies to major repairs, which not everyone can afford. So what can you do with your existing floor? Partially replace the wood planks if some are dry and cover with a fresh coat of varnish or paint. On the insulated balcony, on top of the boards, you can put a layer of insulation and a moisture-resistant laminate. An excellent option for an open balcony is linoleum (in some cases, you can simply put it on a concrete slab) and garden parquet (wooden elements will be easy to remove at the end of summer).

The area of the walls on the balcony is small, and there are many advantages to this. Firstly, redecorating surfaces will not take much time, and secondly, due to the small area of finishing, you can not save on materials. If you want to decorate the walls and forget about repairs for a long time, use small-format tiles or decorative bricks. It is made of plaster, and you only need an adhesive to place it on the wall - you can handle the installation yourself in a couple of days. Cover the top of the brick with paint or colorless varnish so that dirt is not absorbed into the pores.

Another finishing option is paint for facades (if the balcony is open) or interior paint (for an insulated loggia). Previously, the surface will need to be plastered. For independent work, we advise you to choose decorative plaster, which will hide the flaws and lack of experience.

Fixing the imperfections of wood trim is also easy. To renew the lining, thoroughly wipe the dust from it, treat it with a primer and paint or varnish. If you like the wooden design of the balcony, but are already tired of the lining, pay attention to inexpensive parquet - many people now put it on the walls.

What is often forgotten when renovating a balcony is lighting. To use it not only during the day, but also in the evening (for example, to arrange a dinner on an open balcony), it is important to have at least several sources of lighting. The ideal option is spots and sockets built into the suspended ceiling (only for a glazed loggia). For open balconies, use extension cords or battery-operated or sunlight-powered lights - these are most commonly found in garden design departments.

If the apartment is located on a low floor, most likely you will want to hide from prying eyes. Most of the questions are caused by the lattice fence of the balcony, through which you can see everything. In this case, use wicker mats, securing them around the perimeter of the fence: they will dry quickly in case of rain and will not spoil the appearance of the house.

Empty balcony space risks becoming a warehouse again. To avoid this, equip a seating area with chairs, armchairs, a small table on the renovated balcony. And don't forget about live plants - they will make the environment even more comfortable.

Traditionally, in apartment buildings, the balcony serves as a storage room. However, these small 3-6 square meters can become a full-fledged room. To improve your balcony, it is not necessary to spend money on expensive services of professionals; with little preparation, you can repair the balcony with your own hands.

So that the work does not cause serious difficulties, you must first draw up a plan for the future premises and think over the stages of repairing the balcony regarding it. The main thing with which to decide is whether it will be operated all year round or only in the warm season. For a "cold" balcony, it is enough to carry out a number of cosmetic measures and to strengthen, if necessary, the main structures (walls, roof).Photos of balcony repairs will help you understand how certain procedures are performed.

Often, repair work on the balcony is delayed indefinitely due to improperly carried out preparatory measures. Before major repairs, all structures and the condition of the roof are checked. Particular attention is paid to the balcony slab - the entire load is on it, therefore, it makes no sense to carry out work on the damaged structure.

When examining the balcony, the slab is checked for cracks and chips, if the house is new, then, as a rule, there is no special damage to the structure. In old buildings, inspection is carried out with caution. An ordinary person cannot always fix the destruction, therefore, the best way out is to seek professional advice.

Inspection of the roof of the balcony does not require special preparation, even small damage will be noticeable immediately. The same can be said about checking the walls, the main thing is to examine them for the presence of voids (by tapping). Large gaps on external structures are covered with cement, and on internal ones - with polyurethane foam, cutting off the excess after drying. If the balcony is not glazed, it is worth checking the integrity of the fence.

Self-repair of the balcony slab is possible if the integrity of the reinforcing frame is preserved. If the metal mesh begins to collapse, you will need the help of professionals with the involvement of special equipment.

Depending on the degree of damage, cosmetic and medium repairs of the balcony slab are divided.

This type of work is performed in the presence of small cracks and potholes. If the balcony is glazed or the dismantling of the fences is not planned in the future, the destroyed reinforcement is welded or the damaged panels are replaced. After that, a sand-cement screed or other type of floor covering is laid on the floor. The procedure for repairing a balcony is quite simple. The main thing is to comply with the work technology.

To restore a dilapidated balcony, the top layer of cement is completely removed to the reinforcing frame, while a perforator or other technique is used. If it is in its normal state, then it is left intact. After removing the cement, a new layer is poured. The thickness of the screed for the balcony should be 0.5-0.8 cm larger than the previous one. When the cement is dry, it is covered with polyethylene and periodically moistened with distilled water.

If the reinforced mesh of the balcony slab is destroyed, you should not do the work yourself. The best way out is to turn to professionals. To figure out how to make repairs on the balcony, it is worth getting to know each stage of the process.

The easiest material to work with for strengthening the balcony parapet is aerated concrete or foam concrete blocks. Compared to others, this material has several advantages:

does not require complex skills;
resistant to moisture (important for warm balconies and loggias);
high frost resistance (no further insulation of the parapet is required);
convenient for subsequent work;
has a low weight.

The only drawback of aerated concrete blocks is shrinkage. In the future, this can lead to minor cracks. When buying foam blocks, the climate of the area and the level of humidity are taken into account. To figure out how to make high-quality repairs on the balcony with your own hands, you need to know the main stages of work.

The process of strengthening the balcony parapet with foam blocks is as follows:

Calculate the number of blocks required, taking into account the width and height of the balcony. The new fence should be slightly higher than the old one. The blocks are stacked apart, so that the blocks of the upper row are not parallel to the blocks of the lower one.
A waterproofing material is laid on the balcony slab; it is better to choose an adhesive one. It is more expensive, but you don't need it much. To attach the waterproofing to the cement, it is heated with a burner. A roll of material is rolled from one edge to the other of the balcony, then glued by heating.
Foam blocks are laid on the waterproofing using cement mortar.If a row of blocks is sawn, then it is laid on the bottom with the help of cement mortar. Each new row is laid with a reinforced mesh with a diameter of 3 mm and covered with an adhesive. When working, use a level to adjust the accuracy of the masonry.
Reinforcement sticks out of the masonry between the walls and the parapet of the balcony, it is cut into the blocks with a hammer or drill, so that their opposite ends go into the horizontal seams of the masonry.
To protect against moisture, the foam blocks are covered with a special primer for porous surfaces, then they are plastered with a spatula.

The outer side of the balcony parapet is covered with siding or decorative panels.

The most popular and easy-to-use material for cladding walls of a balcony is clapboard. It has a long service life, is environmentally friendly and is inexpensive compared to other materials.

The process of cladding walls on a balcony with clapboard is performed as follows:

a wooden or metal frame is attached to the walls of the balcony with a step between the strips of 40-50 cm;
a waterproofing layer is laid on the finished frame, the cheapest option is roofing material;
the next layer is insulation, it all depends on the budget, one of the most budgetary materials is polystyrene, glass wool on foil is also popular;
the final stage - attaching the lining with nails or other convenient fasteners, each board fits into the grooves.

To hide irregularities and small defects, when repairing a balcony, a decorative plinth is attached to the corners.

The installation of MDF or decorative panels is carried out according to the same principle.

If the balcony is a cold room, a simple floor repair is sufficient. In such a room, linoleum is usually laid or a cement screed is renewed. Floor repair on warm balconies and balconies requires more time and expense.

Before laying any coating, the screed is renewed. After it dries, proceed to laying the coating. The most popular and practical materials for repairing closed balconies are:

Ceramic tile. It is placed directly on the heating using a cement mixture or special adhesives. Installation begins from the far corner of the balcony, gradually moving to the exit. Each tile is laid and leveled with a mallet and a bar, spaced crosses are placed between the tiles.
Wooden floor for the balcony. Before laying on the screed, lay waterproofing (for example, polyethylene). Then the logs are attached from above with a pitch of 18-25 cm on self-tapping screws or dowels. Glass wool or other insulation is placed in the resulting grooves. Boards are attached to the logs from above. After that, the material is painted with varnish or other coatings, pre-treated with a fire-resistant coating.

More expensive materials are MDF panels, carpet, etc. When installing them, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the material and climatic conditions.

Before repairing the balcony roof, dismantle the old roof. Then you need to check the strength of the frame. It can be reinforced with metal corners. They are welded from hollow pipes. The trusses are fastened with the smaller side to the wall of the building. Anchors 70-80 mm are used as fasteners.

Roof and ceiling repair next steps:

After the frame has been strengthened, it is necessary to complete the crate. For it, use bars 40x40 mm. They are attached to trusses at an angle of 90 degrees.
The roof covering is laid on the battens and overlapped.
If there are gaps between the sheets of material, they are filled with foam from the inside. From the outside, each gap is coated with cement. A sealant is applied on top of it.
The next step is to waterproof the roof. For reliable sealing, the joints that are formed between the house and the roof covering should be covered with aprons. The visor should be completely covered with waterproofing.

After the repair of the balcony roof is completed, the roof is inspected to identify any remaining deficiencies. All cracks are covered with hermetic bitumen.Ceiling repairs are easy enough. One has only to choose the materials.

The next important procedure is the insulation of the balcony ceiling. It is necessary to create a comfortable indoor climate. The most suitable materials for this are mineral wool and polyurethane foam boards.

If mineral wool is chosen as insulation for the balcony, first measure its sheets with a tape measure. It is necessary to stuff boards on the ceiling. The distance between them should be equal to the width of the insulation sheets. Stamped bars thickness - 50 mm. Then the mineral wool must be fixed and covered with foil to ensure vapor barrier of the balcony ceiling. Next, the lathing slats are nailed under the finish coating and the facing material is attached.

If polyurethane foam plates are used to insulate the balcony ceiling, they are cut to the size of the ceiling. First, they must be glued to double-sided tape, and then fixed to the ceiling with dowels. The joints are foamed.

The second layer of insulation is foamed polyethylene. It is laid in shiny layers inside. Seams and gaps are glued with construction tape. After the completion of the work, the ceiling is finished. It can be sewn up with clapboard or drywall. A video of repairing a balcony with your own hands (in stages) is presented below:

If you still store unnecessary sports equipment and off-season rubber on your balcony, now is the time to change the situation. Light cosmetic repairs will help turn the balcony into a real lounge area, greenhouse or private office. Today we will tell you how to quickly eliminate the flaws in finishing in order to embody all the most daring ideas.

Shabby, curved floors are one of the main problems in balconies. In any case, remove the old flooring: a hammer and chisel will help to get rid of wooden slats or tiles. Level the concrete base with a primer and a spatula - both linoleum and tiles will fit well on such a surface. If the balcony door is too high, the floor can be slightly raised with brickwork, laid with any insulation and also linoleum on top - the most economical material for cosmetic flooring.

True, it should be borne in mind that under constant exposure to sunlight, linoleum will fade and will not last as long as in other rooms of the apartment. To mitigate this effect, the floor can be additionally covered with a carpet runner.

People ignorant of construction believe that the balcony slab is the protrusion of the floor slab. Far from it. In construction, a wide variety of methods for fixing a balcony slab are used:

clamping or pinching in the structure of the outer wall of the building;
the use of a cantilever floor slab;
support on the consoles of columns or consoles of internal walls (in frame buildings);
suspension of the balcony slab to the internal load-bearing transverse walls or to the ceiling;
resting on attached reinforced concrete, steel or wooden structures.

In brick buildings, the strengthening of the balcony slab is carried out by the pinching method. Reinforced concrete overhead and underlay elements are bricked into the outer wall of the building, which form a niche for the balcony slab. The edge of the slab adjacent to the outer wall is necessarily thickened. In cases with brick houses, the entry of the balcony slab into the wall is quite large. The slab must be welded to the reinforced concrete elements using steel anchors.

In panel-type houses, the balcony slabs are based on reinforced concrete structures using ceilings. The strengthening of the balcony slab in frame buildings is carried out using beam technology. In this case, there is no load on the building wall, since the balcony slab rests on the column brackets.

Mounting options for balcony slabs

It would seem, is it really impossible to make floor slabs immediately with a ledge under the balcony? After all, a one-piece product is always stronger.But this method will shorten the life of not only the balcony, but the whole house. Corrosion of the reinforcement will penetrate deep into the slab, the overlap will lose its strength. This threatens an emergency and demolition of the house.

It seems that the support area in this case will be larger. But building structures do not withstand long-term multidirectional loads. If the balcony slab is passed through the wall, then its inner edge will press against the wall, trying to raise it. This situation threatens with sudden catastrophic destruction.

There are several types of balcony slab repair:

Important: Remember, it is difficult for an uninformed person to determine how destroyed the balcony slab is. Defects should be assessed by professionals.

If cracks appear on the surface of the balcony slab, do not cover them with mortar. In this case, it is necessary to find out the degree of corrosive destruction of the reinforcement. The cracks can be very deep, which will not be noticeable from the outside. If minor damage turns out to be shallow, then minor and medium repairs can be done independently.

The need for overhaul of the balcony slab is visible to the naked eye. This is indicated by the destructive appearance and large cracks throughout the slab. Overhaul or emergency repairs to the balcony should only be carried out by professionals.

The following signs indicate the emergency state of the balcony and its slab:

naked reinforcement;
the appearance of deep cracks at the junction of the slab with the wall;
destruction of concrete on top of the slab and its delamination from the bottom of the slab;
collapse of slab fragments.

The balcony in this condition urgently needs major repairs

In this case, to repair the emergency balcony, you will need more than one unit of special equipment and a team of qualified installers. Such a slab will most likely have to be broken out of the load-bearing wall.

From our article "The difference between a balcony and a loggia" you will learn about the design features of these two building elements.

And how you can beautifully arrange the exit to the balcony, we told on this page of the site.

Not a single regulatory document or law clearly states: is the balcony part of the supporting structure or living area? In this regard, the question may arise as to whether the balcony is in an emergency state where to go and what to do? In theory, the balcony slab should be repaired by the management company, and the parapet, railings, and gratings should be repaired by the owner of the apartment. But some confusion in the legislation does not give an exact answer to this question. On this basis, disagreements often arise between homeowners and utilities.

Conclusion: Do not bring the balcony to an emergency state. Any search for the truth will not restore the balcony slab. In order to avoid accidents, repair the balcony slab with your own hands.

If you notice signs of destruction of the balcony slab, you must inform the utility service about this fact in writing as soon as possible. The document is certified by a specialist of the housing office and registered in the corresponding journal. It makes sense to attach some photos of the collapsing balcony slab to the document. Your neighbors from below must definitely put their signatures in this document.

Then you can proceed as follows: perform the restoration of the balcony slab on your own, but with guarantees of recalculation of the rent. Or wait patiently for the utilities to take over the repairs. If none of the options suits you, feel free to go to court.

Moisture is the main cause of damage to balcony slabs. Penetrating into the slab, water is able to activate corrosion of the reinforcement. In old houses, the protection of concrete from moisture is reduced, water easily penetrates to the reinforcement. Corroded reinforcement loses its load-bearing capacity, expands and breaks down the concrete.

Remember that the thickness of the concrete screed should be twice the thickness of the reinforcing mesh, or even more.

In case of severe corrosion of the reinforcing cage, reinforcement of the balcony slab will be required - this is a larger-scale work:

Rolled steel beams are installed on the sides of the balcony slab and cantilevered to the wall.
The mesh is welded to the beams.
Next, the work described above on pouring concrete begins.

Balcony slab reinforcement scheme

When the reconstruction of the balcony slab is completed, it the surface needs to be waterproofed, which is mandatory if the balcony is open. For this, various waterproofing materials of a roll or coating type are suitable. In particular, Penetron penetrating waterproofing has proven itself well. It is applied to a pre-moistened surface in two layers, after which the surface must remain moistened for three days, and mechanical stress and temperatures below 0 degrees are not allowed.

Of course, the old fence may still be strong enough. But the overhaul of the balcony slab already implies the installation of a new enclosing structure. In addition, if in the future it is planned to glaze the balcony and its insulation, then it will not hurt to think over a high-quality basis in advance.When arranging fences, welding is indispensable. Even a beginner can work on a compact inventory welding machine that works from the network. But there are two more options:

invite a qualified welder;

fix the balcony railing with anchors, in this case welding is not required.

The frame of the new fence is made of a rectangular shaped tube. This fence is easy to install and will have an attractive appearance. Next, a galvanized steel ebb is attached along the entire perimeter of the balcony slab. This will protect the edge of the slab from precipitation. Image - Redecorating the balcony with your own hands

Do you know what kind of balcony railings are? Their possible options and materials for manufacturing are described in a separate article.

On the use of another popular type of waterproofing material on balconies and loggias, Aquastop waterproofing, information is available here.

And from this material you will learn how you can independently make a screed on the balcony and what is needed for this.

Residents of city apartments with balconies have a unique opportunity not only to insulate and glaze this area, but also to increase the area of their housing. Now you can install a railing under the glazing with an extension. What does it mean?

When installing the frame of the fence, using a professional trick, you can take out the glazing about 30 cm behind the parapet. If you consider that this action is performed on three sides of the balcony slab, then the increase in space will be significant. This option is especially ideal for owners of very small balconies.

Video (click to play).