In most of the apartments, the loggia is usually used to store various unnecessary items or is empty, and yet their space allows you to significantly increase the area of housing, expand the room or make some kind of additional room in which you can set a sleeping place. The first thing that will make the loggia more comfortable is its thermal insulation. Next, it will be described how to insulate the loggia, and it will also be described what tools and materials you may need for this. Effective thermal insulation can be ensured solely thanks to an integrated approach, including high-quality glazing, insulation of the floor and walls. Where to begin?
How to insulate a loggia: high-quality glazing
Most loggias already have glazing, but this is usually a simple wooden frame with single-pane glass. Ordinary rooms lose about 20% of heat through window openings, and in loggias this indicator reaches 50%, since a third of the entire space is covered with glass. You can save heat if you replace the old frames with new metal-plastic double-glazed windows. After installing the windows, you can proceed to the next stages of warming the loggia, but first you need to check the joints for cracks. Such cracks can cause heat loss, so they must be repaired using gypsum putty.
How to insulate a loggia: we insulate the floor
The floor can be insulated in one of two ways: to install an electric system "warm floor" or to make floors on a wooden frame. Before starting work, the floor needs to be cleaned of all unnecessary, and then choose the material for thermal insulation, then you can get foam or mineral wool. First you need to install the lags that serve as the basis of the future sex. Between them you need to arrange the insulating material. To ensure high-quality contact of thermal insulation with the floor, you can use a special gypsum mixture. When using ordinary mineral wool, it is important to arrange it so that it evenly covers the entire surface of the floor. After laying the thermal insulation, the time comes for facing. Here, a wooden board is best suited, the thickness of which is 1.5-2 centimeters, pre-adjusted in width and trimmed. Using self-tapping screws, the boards should be screwed to the lags after they are tightly laid. When deciding how to insulate a loggia, one should not forget about the possibility of using electric floors. This solution is very effective, as it allows not only to insulate the floor, but also to heat the room. First you need to level the floor with a concrete screed, after which you need to expand the heating cable, which must be fixed with a special tape. After this, a special self-leveling mixture is filled, which completely covers the heating elements. The thickness of this layer should be no more than 15 millimeters.
How to insulate the loggia yourself: wall insulation
Mineral wool and polystyrene are also used for insulation of walls and ceilings.
First, you need to make a crate of wooden bars, the cross section of which is 3 * 4 centimeters. Then the foam sheets will be glued or bolted to the bars. The thickness of the insulation depends entirely on the thickness of the walls. All gaps and knocks should be filled with foam that retains heat perfectly. Before you begin laying thermal insulation, you should conduct all the necessary cables for electrical appliances and lighting. On top of the foam should be covered with reflective material, for example, foil. Now the walls can be sheathed using drywall, as well as plastic or wooden lining. The lining is made using moisture-proof drywall.
There are no difficulties in deciding how to insulate the loggia yourself. It is important to understand that the thermal insulation of the balcony allows you to significantly save heat, expanding the usable space of your home.