Do-it-yourself balcony repair in an apartment

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

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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);

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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);

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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 closed 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).

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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 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.

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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, before starting work, all cracks are closed using polyurethane foam. 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.

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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 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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

Repair of the balcony is relevant both at the entrance to the apartment, and during the overhaul of the entire housing. How often, after completing high-quality repairs to the main premises, residents leave the balcony without proper attention. Perhaps they do not even think that having repaired it beautifully and with high quality, they can endow themselves with another room, turn it into a recreation area, start breeding exotic plants or come up with another purpose for this consolidated space.

Usually, a person thinks about organizing the repair of a balcony when it becomes necessary to glaze it, which allows you to protect the apartment from wind, sunlight, dampness and others.

They can also repair in order to expand the space of the apartment, and in this case we are talking about a major overhaul. Joining a balcony to a room is practically glazing with metal-plastic windows (double-glazed window), after which a part of the wall. After the completion of the work, the room is insulated and revetted with high quality.

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A warm balcony involves glazing with plastic windows. After the completion of such glazing, it is necessary to carry out insulation on the floor, walls, ceiling and parapet.

Cold - obtained as a result of glazing with metal-plastic windows (single-chamber double-glazed windows) or aluminum windows with single glass. In this case, insulation is not required. You can sheathe, for example, with clapboard and give it a pleasant appearance.

It is possible to determine how much it costs to repair a balcony only on the basis of the degree of complexity of technological problems that will have to be solved in the process of repair work.

Putting technical issues aside, for a start it is advisable to create a prototype of your new premises, in other words, a project in which the proposed work will be marked point by point, a list of materials, both building and finishing, an estimated cost, and more. Even at the preparatory stage, it should already be clearly defined whether it will be glazed and attached to the room, warm or cold.

You can even sketch a project yourself with a sketch or make a primitive drawing, which will indicate what and where will be.To do this, you just need to carefully measure the room and draw it on a notebook sheet in a cage. You can take any convenient scale, for example - 2 cells (one centimeter) to fifty real centimeters.

Then they get rid of trash and debris accumulated during operation. Of course, what else may be needed should be brought into the apartment during the renovation in order to protect things from damage.

In principle, all work should be divided into stages.

Repair work begins after assessing the objective condition of the base of the balcony, its slab. If the defects found turn out to be minor, you can limit yourself to a new screed. Otherwise, if the damage is serious:

  • a reinforcing mesh made of reinforcing wire (diameter 5 mm) is laid on the cleaned surface of the slab, based on the calculation: three longitudinal and transverse rods for each running meter. At the intersection of the rods, welding is performed;
  • the reinforcement mesh is poured with a screed so that the resulting concrete layer is twice as thick as the thickness of the reinforcement;
  • perform the ironing of the screed;
  • the plate is additionally strengthened by installing struts, which are made of a profile with holes for fastening bolts.

In a broad sense, measures for the insulation of the balcony space involve its glazing and insulation with the help of heat-insulating materials.

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Most often, balconies are glazed with PVC frames. Such a decision is supported by such qualities of this profile as:
  • resistance to weathering;
  • tightness of joints;
  • frost resistance;
  • excellent characteristics of heat and sound insulation;
  • wide design possibilities;
  • easy care;
  • external attractiveness.

Given the large glazing area in the case of a loggia, for greater efficiency it is better to choose double or energy-saving double-glazed windows.

Insulation of walls and floors

For floor insulation, it is recommended to use expanded polystyrene as a heat insulator, which, on the one hand, has a low thermal conductivity, and on the other hand, is resistant to high loads.

  • Expanded polystyrene can be laid in two ways - either glued to the floor, or laid in a frame pre-assembled from wooden beams.
  • The insulation is covered with plywood (10 mm) on top, then you can start laying the topcoat - linoleum, waterproof laminate and others.
  • When insulating walls and ceilings, you can use the same materials. Insulation on the walls is fixed, as a rule, on a wooden crate.
  • The gaps between the sheets of insulation and wooden blocks must be filled with specially selected polyurethane foam.

Finishing work - we put the appearance in order

If the owners' plans do not include the creation of a single room from the balcony and the room, the finishing material for the balcony is selected regardless of the decoration of the room.

Most often, the following materials are used for finishing:

  • The lining is wooden - its beautiful texture of natural wood gives the interior a special comfort. It is desirable to varnish its surface.
  • Plasterboard allows you to align walls and create multi-level structures, for example, niches or shelves for storing all kinds of items. It is preferable to choose a moisture resistant material. It is recommended to putty and paint the surface of the gypsum plasterboard.
  • Plastic panels are perhaps the most democratic of the finishing options. It is also easy to install and requires little maintenance.
  • Wallpaper is another of the simplest finishes. Considering that they quickly fade in the sun, you need to choose a lightfast material with the appropriate markings in the form of the sun.
  • Whitewashing is the cheapest of the finishing options, but it is rarely used - it clogs up quickly enough with dust and takes on an untidy look. To maintain cleanliness, you will have to whitewash the walls every six months.

Thus, it is quite possible to create a new aesthetic and functional room in the apartment - all you need to do is to repair the balcony. Its cost includes the total costs of the materials used and directly for the repair work.

In the lives of most people, comfortable and functional housing is of great importance, which would make it possible to isolate oneself from the noisy aggressive outside world. A cozy home where you can recuperate after a busy day at work, as well as work productively, makes life easier for any person. Therefore, competent housing arrangement is of great importance. Reconstruction of a balcony or loggia not only expands the useful living space by several meters, but also increases the functionality, order, and comfort of the living space. Turning a small open space into a beautiful balcony does not require too high skill of the craftsman. How to make a balcony with your own hands?

Decorating the balcony with your own hands should be done deliberately. However, the stages of reconstruction can only be performed well in the following order:

  1. Strengthening the balcony slabs, parapets.
  2. External finishing of the balcony with siding, corrugated board, lining, polycarbonate.
  3. Glazing of the balcony.
  4. Waterproofing, insulation from the inside.
  5. Interior decoration of the balcony.

For. in order to repair the balcony with your own hands with high quality, you need to carefully and responsibly approach the choice of finishing materials, carefully prepare the base, make installation, and then properly maintain the cladding during operation.

Finishing the balcony begins with strengthening the base. This is the exact answer to the question of where to start repairing a balcony.

  • First, you need to close up all the seams, cracks with a cement-sand mortar.
  • Secondly, close the parapets of an open balcony for insulation with lightweight foam blocks that are resistant to moisture and retain heat well.
  • Thirdly, after strengthening the balcony slab, installing the front wall of the loggia, it is necessary to carefully putty the floor using a penetrating moisture-proof putty, prime the inner surface on the largest possible area of ​​square meters.
  • Fourth, make waterproofing.

Exterior balcony finishing is an important first step in a balcony renovation. For these works, it is better to use PVC siding, flooring, polycarbonate, since these materials are most resistant to temperature extremes, high humidity and exposure to ultraviolet rays. Also, for such purposes, a crate made of a metal profile is better, since a tree can be deformed under the influence of the sun and moisture.