Content
- №1. Styrofoam
- №2. Mineral wool
- No. 3. Expanded clay
- №4. PenoFol
- №5. Foam glass
- №6. Warm floors as an alternative
Who does not want to turn his balcony or loggia into a cozy warm corner, where in winter you can spend time with pleasure. If the insulation is carried out qualitatively, then a small cabinet, a continuation of the kitchen or living room, and on the balcony and in the cold season you can grow plants and relax, admiring the scenery for window. Of great importance is, first of all, the insulation of the floor on the balcony and the loggia. What materials are used for this, and what are the best fit in each case?
Before starting work on the insulation of the floor it is worth making sure of the strength of the balcony or loggia. The design must withstand a layer of insulation, and if there is any doubt, it is better to start working with the replacement of concrete slabs. Not always a thicker layer of insulation is better - the floor should not be higher than in the next room. Now let's look at the most popular warrants of heaters.
№1. Styrofoam
Polyfoam, or styrofoam, has been used as a heater for a long time and today, despite the appearance of many other materials, does not lose its positions. As the material looks, each of us knows: it consists of numerous balls, which in turn are constructed of their cells. The thermal insulation properties are explained by the porous structure and the presence of air in these pores. In fact, the foam plastic consists of 98% air.
According to the production method, the foam is divided into two large groups: extruded and expelled.Extruded polystyrene is commonly referred to as a penplex. It consists of small granules, is severely cut, deprived of many drawbacks of the usual foam plastic, and for warming the loggias fits perfectly. Sheets can have a thickness of 2 to 10 cm, they fill the holes between the floor lags, the gaps are frayed, and then the finish coat is applied.
The popularity of polystyrene is associated witha huge number of its advantages:
- light weight, which simplifies transport and installation;
- affordable price;
- excellent thermal insulation properties;
- soundproofing properties;
- does not absorb moisture, will not be the place of development of mold and rodents.
The main disadvantages:
- flammability, so it is better to give preference to a material impregnated with anti-fouling;
- Rodents can settle in the foam;
- instability to mechanical damage, therefore, warming works should be carried out with some caution. Penoplex this defect is almost devoid, because due to smaller granules can withstand solid loads.
№2. Mineral wool
Mineral wool - a whole class of materials, the production of which is made from mineral raw materials by heating it to melting, stretching into individual threads and forming fibers. If blast-furnace waste was used as a raw material,slag, if the basis was glass waste or siliceous rocks, then leavesglass wool. Often under mineral wool is understoodstone wool, which is produced from basalt rocks. It has the best operational properties, and it will be discussed.
Stone wool is produced in slabs and rolls, but can also be in granular form and directed to a heatable surface to fill all the cracks with a special installation. In whatever form there is a mineral wool,its main advantages are:
- good thermal insulation properties. The coefficient of thermal conductivity is approximately at the same level as the foam, so the material will be an excellent protection and will not release valuable heat;
- the ability to pass air - the microclimate of the balcony will be in perfect order;
- incombustibility;
- soundproofing properties;
- resistance to mechanical damage;
- Stone wool is not affected by rodents;
- durability;
- affordable price.
The combination of all these advantages and explain the wide dissemination of the material. It is worth noting that glass wool and slag wool will cost cheaper, but they are more fragile, and all work will need to be carried out in the means of protection.
No. 3. Expanded clay
To insulate the floor on the balcony and loggia are often used expanded clay. This material is made from clay, which is fired at high temperatures. As a result, oval-shaped granules with a porous structure are obtained. The material is able to make even the coldest floor warm and cozy, and this is exactly what is needed. When working with material, it is important to take into account a number of nuances. Since the expanded clay is porous, itis able to absorb moisture, therefore the layer of waterproofing should be strong and reliable. The material is veryfragileIt is necessary to work with him very carefully. Claydite insulation technologydoes not allow to make a layer of insulation less than 15 cm, what you need to consider to not get too high a floor.
Despite all the nuances of working with expanded clay, this insulationhas a lot of advantages:
- light weight;
- low price;
- excellent heat and sound insulation;
- refractoriness and frost resistance;
- durability;
- environmental friendliness.
№4. PenoFol
Penofol - one of the most modern insulation, which combines the advantages of foam and mineral wool, but while the material is very thin, so it fits optimally in cases where every centimeter of space is on the account. Penofol consists of foamed polyethylene and aluminum foil, and its action resembles a conventional thermos. The material does not retain the heat of the room, but reflects it. Penofol is produced in rolls of 3-10 mm thickness.
Main advantages of the material:
- the minimum thickness at which the thermal insulation properties are not inferior to other materials. Thus, a layer of foam foam in 4 mm can replace mineral wool with a thickness of cm, or a foam 3 cm thick. The economy of space is obvious;
- the material does not absorb moisture at all, so you do not have to worry about waterproofing;
- additional noise insulation. Penofol will reduce the load from acoustic and structural noise, which is more than actual for balconies and loggias that go directly to the street;
- maximum ease of transportation and installation. The material can be cut without fear of crumbs, fastened with glue or tape;
- difficult to access for rodents;
- fire safety. Penofol is a flame retardant and difficult to burn material;
- environmental friendliness.
Experts say that penofol isone of the best and most reliable heaters at the moment. But some of the shortcomings are inherent in him. So, the material is soft enough, and at its installation it is better not to use nails, so as not to violate the integrity and basic properties of the material. Despite the excellent properties of penofol, today it is usually used not as an independent insulation, but in combination with other materials.
№5. Foam glass
For loggias and balconies the number of possible insulation is greatly reduced due to specific conditions. For example, eco-wool has to be abandoned, but foam glass can be used. In its composition, the material is an ordinary silicate glass, but here the way of production allows you to add unique properties. Glass waste is pulverized, melted, and due to the action of the gassing agent in the form of coke or coal, the mass increases tens of times and acquires a porous structure. Not only is this material much lighter than glass, so it'sHas a lot of other advantages:
- good heat and sound insulation properties. A plate 10 cm thick reduces the noise level by 56 dB;
- durability. The material can retain all its basic properties for 100 years;
- well tolerates cold and heat, temperature changes, does not change the geometric dimensions;
- does not burn, because in the base glass, which at a temperature of 10000C melts, but does not ignite;
- strength;
- the material is not afraid of water, but lets in air.
Due to its high cost foam glass is not so often used for insulation of residential buildings and, especially, loggias and balconies. By the totality of performance, it is the ideal insulation.
№6. Warm floors as an alternative
The system of warm floors allows to solve a lot of problems of creation of an optimum microclimate on a balcony or a loggia. First, do not have to think about other heating systems, and secondly, it will be nice to walk on the floor even barefoot. Nevertheless, in order not to heat the street,thermal insulation materials should be used in this case.
The warm floor can be water, electric and infrared. On the loggias and balconies the water system is problematic to use, so they stop on the last two options. Electrical warm floors can be of two main types:
- cable system. Its use requires the organization of a screed with a layer of insulation and waterproofing. The thickness of the screed should be at least, cm, and the heating cable is located at a depth of 3 cm from the top edge. The finish coat must have good thermal conductivity, so often in its quality use ceramic tiles. Include a system of warm floors will be possible only after the drying of the screed, and this is 2-3 weeks;
- heating matsare used when it is impossible to organize a cement-sand screed. The mats are laid simply and quickly, on the glue for the tiles, and the installation can be done directly on the old covering. Finishing can be completely any, the main thing is that the finishing material is well tolerated such heating. Use warm floors can be immediately after the glue dries. From the disadvantages of this solution is the high cost and the need in some cases to use an additional source of heating.
The alternative to them -infrared film floors, which are as simple as possible in the installation. Such a floor will heat the surrounding objects, and already from them will warm up the air. By the same principle, the Sun heats our planet. With such floors, the microclimate on the balcony will be as healthy as possible. As a finish coating, you can use anything: linoleum, carpet, tile, laminate.
The benefits of using warm floors, probably, even superfluous will list. Of course, bills for electricity will be higher, but if you compare them with the payment for the constant use of electric heaters, then warm floors are still more profitable, and at times. Often referred to as the complexity of the installation. This statement is partly true for the cable system, while the rest of the options for organizing warm floors are as simple as possible and can be implemented on their own.
