Balconies in high-rise buildings, and especially in the old Khrushchev, are usually very small. Their internal space at best allows you to place only a small bedside table, a table and flower boxes. Therefore, many apartment owners order specialists or do with their own hands an operation such as expanding the balcony. Of course, take-out should be done with the exact observance of the required technologies. Otherwise, the design may turn out to be unsafe for both the owners of the apartment, and for people passing below.
Removal methods
You can expand the balcony in a multi-storey building using two technologies:
On the windowsill. This method is also called a “scarf”. In this case, the balcony is expanded on top of the parapet. As a result, a small window sill is formed inside, on which, for example, the same indoor flowers or seedlings in spring can be installed.
On the basis of. This is a more laborious and expensive method. With this expansion, the actual area of the base of the balcony increases. If the removal is supposed to be done more than 30 cm from either side, you will have to obtain permission from the relevant organization to carry out the work.
Of course, with the expansion of the loggia, the owners of the apartments at the same time in most cases carry out its glazing. Next, we consider how to expand and finish a turnkey balcony with your own hands using both of the above technologies.
What materials will be needed
Of course, in order to make a takeaway, the owners of the apartment will have to spend money. Do-it-yourself expansion of the balcony in Khrushchev is carried out using the following materials:
corner, profile and channel for welding a new frame;
if necessary, cement and sand for pouring or repairing the slab;
insulation, hydro and vapor barrier materials.
You will also need to cook:
siding or profiled sheet for external cladding;
materials for internal lining;
glue, adhesive tape, putty, polyurethane foam;
double-glazed windows;
floor boards;
consumables, etc.
If the balcony is supposed to be heated, among other things, you will need to buy a copper cable, sockets and a heater. It is forbidden to bring central heating batteries to the balcony with standards.
Necessary tools
To assemble a new frame, you may need a welding machine. But you can connect the corners and bolts. In any case, the home master will need:
You will also need to prepare buckets and a trough for cement mortar and other building mixtures.
Removal by "scarf": the main stages
To begin, consider how to expand the balcony with your own hands according to the first technology, that is, on the windowsill. Before proceeding with the removal, of course, all things should be removed from the loggia. The expansion of the "scarf" is carried out in several steps:
checked for strength parapet;
going to the frame with the removal of the glazing;
external parapet sheathing is performed;
double-glazed windows are installed;
insulation is mounted;
stretching wiring;
inner lining is in progress.
Parapet preparation
If the glazing is removed with a “scarf”, it is not necessary to cut off the old metal parapet or disassemble the brick. However, the fence must be checked for strength and repaired if necessary. A block or brick parapet is usually simply waterproofed, filling all the existing cracks with putty. Try to loosen the metal fence of the balcony with your hands. If any elements of the parapet are shifted from their place, they should be fixed. All rusted parts must be replaced with new ones. In addition, diagonal metal struts are welded to increase the rigidity of the structure.
Floor assembly
Begin such a procedure as expanding the balcony with a “scarf”, with scalding the carrier plate at the edges with a metal profile. For this purpose, it is best to take the material thicker and with shelves wider. This is done in order to further strengthen the balcony (in fact, when removed, its weight will inevitably increase). The ends of the profile should be brought into the wall by at least 25 cm. It is also advisable to additionally fasten the old frame to the wall using metal plates and anchor bolts.
Then expand the upper part of the parapet by welding the profile on all sides using metal jumpers. The step between the latter should be 40 cm. The length of the jumpers is chosen depending on how far they want to expand the balcony.
Continue to assemble the frame by welding the remote struts from the corner. The lower part is attached to the strapping of the plate, the upper - to the remote profile of the parapet. At the final stage, racks for glazing are welded.
Bracket Extension
The method for assembling the frame described above is only suitable for metal parapets. Next, we will consider how to increase the balcony on the windowsill in the event that the fence is brick or block. To expand, you will need special brackets. You can weld them yourself from the corner. To do this, a short strut is simply attached to the support strip at an angle. Several of these brackets (in increments of 40 cm) are fixed with anchors on the top of the parapet. It turns out support under the future windowsill. Further, as in the first case, a frame for glazing is installed.
Base removal: frame assembly
In this case, the expansion of the balcony is as follows:
Using a grinder, pieces of channels are cut so that one of their edges enters the wall by 25 cm, and the second protrudes beyond the base plate by the expansion distance of the balcony.
In the wall, using a puncher, holes are drilled under the channels.
Cut pieces are brought into the nests. The distance between the channel sections should be approximately 0.5 m.
The free ends of the elements embedded in the wall are connected by means of a channel piece of an appropriate length.
If the slab is badly damaged, it must first be repaired using concrete mix and using reinforcement rods. After the base of the frame is welded, you can proceed to the assembly and installation of a new parapet. The holes in the floor from the edge of the old plate to its front and side planes should be closed with thick pieces of metal.
At the final stage, a new concrete slab is poured over the channels over the old concrete base of the balcony. When performing this procedure, a 12 mm reinforcing bar should be used. Dry the new concrete floor of the balcony for at least 2-3 days.
The extension of the base of the balcony, if desired, can be supplemented by the removal of the “scarf”. That is, weld the jumpers to the top of the new large parapet and strengthen them with supports using the technology that was discussed above.
Visor
If the balcony is located on the top floor, when expanding, it will need to be covered, among other things, from above. Under the ceiling, a frame frame from the corner should also be arranged. As a covering material, metal tile can be used. In order to ensure the flow of water, angle trusses are welded onto the frame. In this case, the visor can be installed with a slope. If the apartment is located on the intermediate floor, the frame is fixed to the bottom of the base plate of the upper balcony.
Glazing
Racks for double-glazed windows without fail install on all corners of a balcony. You can make them from a profile or corner. Their lower edge is welded to the parapet or to the binding of the base plate, the upper edge to the frame from the corner.
Double-glazed windows are mounted, adhering to the appropriate technology for the specific material of the frames. They attach the profile to the racks usually with the help of metal screws with the mandatory installation of press washers. All joints between mounted windows and balcony structures are closed with foam.
Warming
Finish the construction of large balconies with installation of insulation materials and fine finishing. External cladding must be done before glazing. Otherwise, subsequently, for its fastening, it will be necessary to hire high-altitude installers with special equipment. Under the heater from the inside of the balcony, a separately knocked-down frame of timber is installed. Previously, the inside of the parapet should be covered with a waterproofing film. Next, insulation plates are installed between the frame elements. As the latter, it is better to use polystyrene foam. But you can save and install mineral wool (provided good waterproofing of the parapet). Vata is mounted in a frame by surprise. Under the expanded polystyrene, plywood is pre-packed. You can fix the plates on it with glue and dowels, fungi. After the insulation is installed, the parapet is fitted with a vapor barrier film.
Approximately the same technology isolates the floor and ceiling. At the next stage, in the wall separating the balcony and the apartment, the gates are made for wiring. After the socket and the switch are installed, you can proceed to sheathing the internal space with the selected finishing material. It is better to install the heater near the wall adjacent to the room. If you place it next to the parapet, the windows will quickly fog up.
It’s in this way that you can take out and finish the turnkey balcony with your own hands. As you can see, the procedure is technically quite complicated. In addition, removal is also a very important security operation. Therefore, those who are not confident in their strengths should still entrust the extension to specialists with the appropriate skills.