How to raise the floor on the balcony: methods and process of raising the floor on the balcony with your own hands. Leveling the floor on the balcony: an overview of the best methods for creating a level surface Leveling and insulating the floor on the balcony

A beautiful balcony is expensive. The balcony floor is just as important as the living room or kitchen floor. You can do it yourself or spend at least 50,000 rubles on workers.

You can put different coverings on the floor of the loggia. The choice depends on the glazing of the loggia. For warm glazed balconies, choose parquet board, parquet, grooved board, laminate

The floor on the balcony must be made strong if the owners want to use the balcony as a greenhouse or study.

The base surface is made in the first manufacturing step. All furniture is taken out and the old covering is removed. The cement base is cleaned of old glue, dirt and debris. The screed helps to balance the fill level of the slab. When making a balcony, it should be remembered that this is an unreliable structure and it is not able to withstand the entire load, such as, for example, a covering in an ordinary house. The impact on the balcony slab should be gentle. The balcony floor can be leveled while maintaining the integrity of the structure. In this case, not a traditional concrete screed is used, but a new mortar with a lightweight structure. Foam inclusions with new cement screeds on the balcony perform well. Gypsum solutions are also very light.

The evenness of the base is determined by the building level, then it is leveled with a screed. You will need several beacons for the screed. They are divided evenly across the entire width of the balcony. Lighthouses are distributed across the base with a step of 60 cm. The evenness of the lighthouses is determined by the building level, if necessary, pieces of hardboard are placed. If the floor is installed on an open loggia, then a slope from the building wall is needed. First, the lighthouses are aligned, then they are aligned on the loggias. And so each one separately, at the end of the general alignment.

There is no need to rush to install beacons. The evenness of the coating depends on the installation and accuracy of the beacon. The lighthouses are fixed immovably.

The cement mortar is placed in the places where the hardboard was placed. The solution hardens for two hours. In order for the screeds to hold the mortar, metal railings are installed instead of a stone parapet. A wooden bar is attached to the edge of the outer side of the base. The gap between the timber and the floor is covered with a sealant.

The screed helps to raise the level on the balcony. For better adhesion, prime the substrate well. The screed solution is made from special dry mixes. The solution is made according to the instructions, brought to a homogeneous mass. For screeds, dry mortars are leveled independently. The evenness is controlled by the installed beacons.

It is so easy to install screeds for covering with your own hands.

You can do it yourself with a wooden floor in the loggia. When the screed is ready, you can start laying the decorative coating. Boardwalk has a significant popularity. The wooden floor on the balcony, made by hand, has natural warmth, good air circulation. For an open loggia, it is recommended to install outdoor wooden boards. A deck board is perfect. The board does not deteriorate for many years. In a closed room, any boards will do.

Lag alignment

It is not difficult to install and level the floor on the balcony with your own hands. A crate is made on which the boards are placed. The crate provides a drain for rainwater. Natural air circulation is maintained, thus extending the service life. After that the wood is varnished.

Different coverings are laid on the loggia. The choice depends on the glazing of the loggia. For warm glazed balconies, choose a parquet board, parquet, grooved board, laminate.

DIY ceramic tile laying:

You will need a comb-spatula, tile glue.
The floor is cleared of dust and debris. The glue solution is mixed according to the instructions.
Laying begins from the far corner.
Glue is applied to the back of the tile, leveled with a comb trowel, excess glue is removed, the tile is placed on the base and lightly pressed.
The remaining tiles are laid in the same way, the gap between the tiles is controlled by fixing with plastic crosses.
The outermost tiles are trimmed with a tile cutter.

Other types of coatings are easier to install.

Sometimes you have to level the concrete floor with your own hands, and without screeds. For this, the alignment system for wooden logs is useful:

All debris, dust, dirt, remnants of the old coating are cleaned out.
The height is determined by the building level, and marks are placed on the walls around the entire perimeter of the balcony.
You can use not only ready-made production logs, but also coniferous beams of a certain size.
Logs are installed with a distance between the axes up to 50 cm.
For the desired installation, the lag is laid with bars, and between them pieces of roofing material for waterproofing.
At the required level, the logs are installed strictly horizontally by gradually moving the bars.
With the help of anchors, the logs are attached to the concrete.
After fixing the logs, plywood sheets are laid on the surface. The sheets are fixed with self-tapping screws. Plywood is covered with water-repellent compounds, as there is a possibility of water and moisture ingress.

Once the alignment has already begun, it is possible to insulate them, however, the insulation increases the load on the structure. For ease, penoplex and penofol are used. You should not save on materials for insulation, as this can lead to the reconstruction of the balcony. Here you need to consult with specialists.

There is a wide variety of heaters on the market: heating mats, cable heating sections, film floors. Insulation materials are installed only on a flat surface.

Warm film floor

Warm film floor is mounted under linoleum, carpet, laminate, etc. The film does not have additional load, heats the surface evenly and quickly. It is desirable to install a warm film floor on leveled coverings, which will facilitate the installation of this type.

https://youtu.be/GPDTFtvh-Go

Capital finishing of the balcony is often associated with the need to raise the floor. Most often, during construction, the balcony base is below the level of the rooms in the apartment, and the resulting threshold interferes with movement between rooms. Of course, going out to a balcony or loggia is much more convenient on a flat surface than jumping over ledges or rapids and stumbling over them. But not everyone knows how to raise the floor on the balcony. Let's see how you can do this.

The balcony and loggia are undoubtedly part of the apartment, and therefore require a good and high-quality repair. Not only the fences of this place are finished, but also the rough foundations, which are often represented by cold concrete slabs. By the way, this kind of foundation, if the balcony is open, is constantly being tested by atmospheric phenomena. Usually, to protect the floors, the balcony is glazed, but the base still remains cold. And in the process of raising the floor, it can be thoroughly insulated. And, by removing the difference in floor levels between living quarters and those on the street, you can protect residents from falls, as a result of which you can get injured.

Also, raising the level of the balcony floor is sometimes necessary to level the rough base. Indeed, in the case of its finishing, sometimes materials are used that are quite demanding on the evenness of the sheathed surfaces.

In general, it is not so difficult to raise the floor level on the balcony, and therefore you can cope with the task yourself, without involving masters. In this case, it will also turn out to save a lot of money, which can be useful for the purchase of various materials for decoration.

On a note! The average height of raising the floor on the balcony is about 10-12 cm. Thus, under the final floor, there will be a niche sufficient for laying the insulation.

4 ways to raise your balcony floor

You can raise the floors on a loggia or balcony using different methods. All of them differ in the methods of creation, the materials used, as well as the speed and specifics of the work. Among them there are those that exert a significant load on concrete slabs and cannot be used in the case of unreliable structures, and there are those that are suitable for use in any case. Let's consider 4 main ways to change the floor level.

On a note! If the loggia or balcony will be a separate room, then a small - up to 5 cm - height difference between the floor in them and the rooms is allowed. If the balcony is a continuation of the room, then there should be no drops.

Cement screed

A screed based on sand and cement is highly durable, reliable, and if it is poured according to all the rules, it turns out to be very even and ready for laying any type of finish coating.

On a note! When arranging a cement screed, you can also think about organizing an additional floor heating system on the balcony. We are talking about the use of warm floors. They will not harm this type of screed, but they will allow you to stand on the balcony with comfort - your feet will not freeze even in winter.

The main disadvantage is its considerable weight. All the components that make up the mixture used are quite heavy and the screed will have a strong effect on the subfloor. Thus, it cannot be used in all cases, especially when it comes to significant thickness in the case of a large difference between the floor level and the desired height. A cement screed can only be used when there is confidence that the floor will accurately support the weight of the cement mixture, or if the screed layer is small. In general, the thickness of the screed should not be more than 10 cm, if you need to raise the floors to a greater height, it is recommended to choose another method.

Attention! Pouring cement screed can only be done in the warm season. In winter, it cannot be equipped due to low temperatures - remember that the mixture contains water.

Also, a feature of the screed is that its drying time is long - walking on such a floor and performing further work is possible only 28 days after the screed is arranged.

Screed with expanded clay

This is a dry version of the screed that does not need long drying. Floors using this method can be leveled and raised fairly quickly. The basis in this case is expanded clay, which is poured onto the waterproofing layer. Sheets of any leveling material are laid on top of it. It can be drywall, gypsum fiber, plywood, chipboard and other materials. The sheets are fixed to each other at the required floor level, resting on a layer of expanded clay.

The advantage of such a screed is ease of installation, lightness (can be used for floors of any strength), speed of work - you do not have to wait until the screed grabs and dries to continue other finishing work. This option is also suitable if you need to raise the floors to a significant height - up to 20 cm.

For backfilling the base, it is recommended to use small or medium expanded clay, large is undesirable. Sometimes this material can be replaced with fine-grained slag. Before laying the top leveling layer, it is recommended to compact the bulk material well so that it does not shrink.

On a note! If expanded clay is used as a dumping material, then it is not necessary to lay an additional layer of insulation, since this material itself is capable of retaining heat in the room.

The floor on the loggias and balconies of city apartments is, in most cases, a concrete slab without finishing. If decoration does exist, then it is usually minimal. This means that with the future improvement, a lot of time will be devoted to the process of leveling the floor on the balcony and preparing it for the application of the selected topcoat.

Leveling the floor with a screed

Leveling the floor with a screed is one of the most reliable and time-tested options. The screed is excellent as a base for underfloor heating or any kind of coverings. Work can be carried out even on a very uneven floor of a loggia or balcony. In fact, the screed is a mixture of components mixed in a certain proportion, such as cement, sand and water.

It must be borne in mind that a cement-based screed is used in cases where the alignment occurs in height from three to five centimeters. This is the only way to ensure optimum durability of the rough surface.

The first stage of work is the preparation of the old foundation.

Any delamination present should be carefully cleaned after measurement. Measurements are necessary for the reason that it is not always possible to notice them with the naked eye.

If the screed is installed on an old concrete floor with significant potholes, the leveling is done using a special milling machine or mosaic machine. Dust and debris must be removed with a construction vacuum cleaner.

The following materials and tools must be prepared:

waterproofing primer for concrete;
sand, cement or ready-made mixtures;
formwork boards and beacons as needed;
metal rule;
trowel;
primer brush or roller;
building level;
construction mixer.

The surface of the balcony is cleaned not only of dirt and dust, but also of oil stains, as well as chipped concrete parts. All existing cracks are repaired with gypsum or cement mortar. After that, the surface can be primed. The need for this arises if it is necessary to enhance the adhesion of the screed to the concrete slab. Among other things, the primer acts as an excellent waterproofing.

In cases with open balconies that have a temporary formwork at the edges of the slab to prevent future screed from leaking out. The role of formwork can be played by plywood or thin boards.

Beacons are long metal rails with a reinforced profile. They are cut into pieces and installed every half a meter. For standard balconies, two beacons are enough. On very small balconies, formwork boards can be used.

In any case, the beacons are fixed with cement or plaster mortar, the alignment is done using a building level.

It is better to mix the mortar using one part of cement and three parts of sand. Water is added in the amount necessary to obtain a thickness similar to that of medium fat sour cream.

Approximately 10 kg of dry mixture will require about 2 liters of water. You can mix with a mixer or hand trowel. For the convenience of calculating the proportions, it is still desirable to use ready-made mixtures.

Next, the resulting solution is poured onto the floor. Using a metal rule, the solution is leveled in accordance with the position of the beacons. If the weather is dry, it is better to cover the screed with polyethylene or burlap to prevent cracks and premature drying. The formwork is removed in a day or two. The lighthouses can be left inside the screed if it is not necessary to remove them.

Grouting the screed surface
The screed dries up in 1-3 weeks

If there is such a need, then the gaps along the edges and paths from the beacons are leveled with a thick cement solution. The surface is leveled with a foam or wooden float. The topcoat can be applied after one to three weeks.

Leveling the floor with lags

Leveling with a lag is a great way not only to level the balcony, but also to slightly raise it and even insulate it.

In this case, the base of the balcony is not loaded with excess weight. The technology of this method

implies the preliminary installation of a lathing made of timber, sewn on top with boards. The construction of the floor makes it possible to lay any communications, insulation and waterproofing materials.

To carry out the work, the following materials must be prepared:

timber;
insulation (if necessary);
waterproofing film (if necessary);
self-tapping screws;
dowels;
material for finishing lag.

Traditional options can be used as a material for thermal insulation:

mineral wool;
expanded clay;
styrofoam.

As a finish, you can use boards, plywood, GSP, chipboard and others. The choice of both materials mainly depends on the financial capabilities of the owners and the characteristics of the balcony.

The order of work is the sequential execution of the following actions.

Leveling the floor with tiles

Leveling floors with ceramic tiles is not as common as the two previous ones we have described. The fact is that the tile is not only a material for leveling, but also plays the role of a finish.

The main distinguishing feature is the ability to use both on closed balconies and on open ones.

If the balcony is supposed to be used as a separate living space, it is highly desirable to equip high-quality thermal insulation under the tiles or install a floor heating system. With regard to underfloor heating, it is advisable to use its electric version in the form of mats.

To form an uneven cut, we use a tile cutter, or an electric machine with a diamond wheel.

Ceramic tiles for a balcony must have a rough surface or any specific textured pattern. Using glossy tiles is unsafe, especially if the apartment is inhabited by elderly people or children. In addition, glossy tiles quickly get dirty, acquiring an untidy look.

Before proceeding with the gluing of the tiles, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparations. Preparation consists in arranging a flat screed primed with a special solution. The glue mixed according to the instructions is applied to the back of the tile.

Laying begins from the corner farthest from the front door. The first tile should be cut at a 45 ° angle. The glue is leveled with a spatula, and its excess is removed. A small amount of glue should also be applied to the screed or floor heating mats.

Laying is done by pressing against the screed surface and lightly lapping. To make the width of the seams the same over the entire surface of the balcony or loggia, spacer construction crosses are used.

After that, the laying operation must be repeated. All rows are placed this way. In the process, the tiles can be leveled using a block of wood or a special mallet. The tiles are cut along the edges with a glass cutter or tile cutter.

After the glue dries, metal corners are fixed with dowels inserted into the holes. It is very important that when drilling the holes for the dowels, a specific drill is used that is designed for working with tiles.

Features of leveling the floor on a closed balcony

The main feature of leveling floors on closed balconies and loggias is the special thoroughness of the preliminary preparation of the premises.

It is from the preliminary work that not only the evenness of the floor will depend, but also the indicators of the insulation of the balcony as a whole. Any alignment method chosen implies the elimination of even the smallest gaps.

Preparation takes place in several stages:

The most significant gap at the joint of the floor is closed and, for which a sealant or polyurethane foam is used.
After a while, a thorough cleaning is carried out.
The slots that are found after cleaning widen.
Expanded gaps are sealed with a sealant or a very plastic cement mortar.
After the material has dried, the excess is cut off.
If you plan to lay the screed, it is advisable to install a damper tape around the entire perimeter.

After all these procedures have been done, you can start laying the waterproofing sheets. The waterproofing can be an ordinary thick polyethylene film or a sheet of roofing material glued to a bituminous mastic.

It is important that the waterproofing, regardless of the material, rises slightly on the walls. The lifting height should not exceed the height of the intended leveling structure.

Waterproofing on a closed balcony must be installed very tightly without joints. If joints are inevitable, then the material is overlapped. The resulting joint is sealed with construction tape in the case of a film. If the waterproofing is performed with roofing material, then the joints are disposed of by surfacing. Only after all work has been carried out can you start leveling.

From the author:hello dear reader. I recently moved into a new apartment in a standard nine-story building built in the late 1980s neon. So this apartment was new only for me, and not as a whole. And, apparently, repairs in it have been done only once since the time of construction. So, as a full-fledged owner of the apartment, I had to start the renovation work myself.

The balcony deserved special attention, as its condition was far from ideal. And since it was big enough, my plans were to turn it into a full-fledged living space in order to organize a workplace with a PC there. This article is not able to accommodate the whole complex of work on the reconstruction of the balcony, therefore today we will analyze only one topic: how to level the floor on the balcony with our own hands.

All procedures for leveling the floor on the balcony / loggia are reduced to two ways:

leveling with a cement screed;
alignment with wooden logs.

We will analyze in detail these two options for the development of events, point out the specific points in the work, and also find out which floor covering should be chosen for the loggia or balcony. In addition, you will find out what kind of leveling work should be done if you decide to leave your balcony unglazed. So let's get started.

Leveling the floor with a screed

If you decide to level the floor with a screed, you first need to "deal" with the old coating. Old tiles can be located there, or just an uncoated screed, which has already in places (or completely) deteriorated. If so, the old tile / screed should be disposed of. To do this, use a hammer drill or a jackhammer. You just need to work carefully so as not to damage the stove itself. Anything can happen, and the collapse of the balcony is not in our plans, is it?

If the screed on the balcony is in relatively good condition, and not particularly crooked, then perhaps you can do without filling. Although, if you want to achieve a perfectly flat surface, a self-leveling floor is at your service. But now we are not talking about self-leveling floors, but about a full-fledged cement-sand screed.

So, we got rid of the old screed. Now use a brush to apply a coat of primer to the work surface. The penetrating primer ensures reliable adhesion of the solution to the surface, and in addition has an antiseptic effect. Simply put, it protects against mold.

Since we need to achieve a perfectly flat base, we should use a building level. You can bubble, but better laser. Firstly, it is more convenient to work with it, and secondly, it will give a more accurate result. If you do not have such specific equipment (as, incidentally, it happened in my case), it is not necessary to clean it up, since such a device is not cheap. You can borrow it for temporary use in a construction supermarket, where there is a "Tool rental" service. Or ask your friends / neighbors.

So, let's say you already have a laser level. Now we need to set the zero mark. Here's what to do:

set the level at the highest corner or at the highest point in the center;
turn on the laser;
use a pencil to mark the points on the wall that the laser has "drawn". By the way, some laser levels cast not points onto the surface, but lines, which is much more convenient;
rotate the level while holding the tripod to transfer the contours to all walls.

If you have never used such a tool before, be sure to read the instructions, since due to one seemingly insignificant error, the entire floor may turn out to be crooked after completion of work. And this is certainly not part of our plans.

After the level of the screed height is determined, you can start installing the beacons, along which the surface will be leveled. The step between them should, as a rule, be from 30 to 50 cm. By the way, I would like to remind you of the existence of warm floors. Although, if you decide to thoroughly insulate yourself, you probably know about this technology. But in fairness I would like to note that the warm floor is laid at this stage, - before (!) The screed is poured.

Also, in some cases, reinforcement is performed before pouring. But most often fittings are laid in cases where the balcony will not be glazed in the future. And more about the lighthouses: before starting pouring, you should wait until the solution that fixes them seizes. At a temperature of 20-25 ° C, a few hours are sufficient. If the work is performed at a temperature lower, it may take 12 hours, or even a day. In general, look at the circumstances.

Preparation of mortar for pouring the floor

Be prepared for the fact that pouring the floor is quite messy and hard work. Even if we are talking about such a seemingly small area like the area of \u200b\u200bthe loggia / balcony. The proportions of the preparation of screed for the floor can be expressed by a simple formula: 1: 2: 1.2. I.e:

1 - cement;
2 - sand;
1.2 - water.

Of course, these proportions can be adjusted at your discretion. For example, determining exactly how much water you need is difficult. H2O should be added in such an amount that the consistency of the mixture resembles thick sour cream in its structure. That is, it should not be neither too liquid nor too dry. For greater strength, the amount of sand is also increased. This usually happens in cases where the floor will be exposed to heavy loads during operation.

For additional thermal insulation, expanded clay can be added to the screed. It is a versatile, reliable insulation that has been successfully used in construction for over a hundred years. It can be added in arbitrary proportions, but, as a rule, it is added in proportions from four to eight for reliable thermal insulation. Therefore, the formula for preparing a screed with the addition of expanded clay will look like this: 1: 2: 1.2: 4–8, where 4–8 is expanded clay.

In addition to expanded clay, the composition of the screed solution may contain reinforcing fiber. As a rule, this component is added in proportions of 0.6–0.9 kg per 1 m³.

Special plaster screeds are also used to fill the floor. They are used to eliminate minor flaws in the work surface. But the use of plaster screed has its limitations: it is not suitable for rooms with high humidity. The main advantage of this leveling method is the relatively fast drying (up to three days) and relative ease of use.

You can purchase both gypsum and cement mixtures at a hardware store. All the necessary components have already been added to such compositions, so you do not have to think about in what proportions to prepare the screed. It is logical that a ready-made mixture will cost you more than purchasing all the components separately.

Important! When purchasing cement (or finished composition), pay attention to the brand. The higher this indicator, the better your screed will be.

The calculation of the required amount of mortar is usually carried out as follows: multiply the floor area by the thickness of the fill layer. For example, the surface area of \u200b\u200bthe floor is 5 m², and the assumed thickness of the screed is 7 cm. Therefore, 5 × 0.07 \u003d 0.35 m³.

After you have completed the necessary calculations and purchased the necessary building materials, it's time to start preparing the composition. Here's how to proceed:

mix the cement and sand thoroughly according to the proportions we have chosen. It is better to use a drill mixer for mixing, since mixing the solution by hand is a difficult and ineffective task;
mix the plasticizer with water - in another container. The proportions in which this material is added are indicated in the instructions on the package. But, as a rule, 380–400 g is used per 100 kg of cement. In addition, reinforcing fiber can be added;
gradually add dry ingredients to a container with water. But (!) Not the other way around, otherwise the solution will turn out to be heterogeneous;
mix the resulting composition thoroughly.

Done. Now you can start filling. The mixture should be poured between the beacons, and then leveled using a rule. Here, as in preparing a mixture, skill is required, so if you have not done this before, you may not get quite what you expected. So it is better to carry out these works not alone, but with a friend who is more enlightened in the repair and construction issue. In addition, it is quite problematic to do the pouring work alone. Either way, you need an assistant.

After the screed has completely dried (and it dries for a long time - up to several weeks), you can start laying the floor covering. We will talk about how to choose a floor covering on a balcony / loggia in the following sections of the article. But keep in mind that laying should be done only (!) After complete drying.

To check if the screed is dry, just take a small piece of oilcloth, put it on the screed, fix it with tape around the perimeter and leave for about 12 hours. If during this time a damp area has formed under the oilcloth, it means that the screed is damp and it is too early to lay the floor covering. If it is dry under the oilcloth, it's time to start laying.

So we learned how to pour a screed on a balcony or loggia. Keep in mind that this section of the article is intended for people who already know about shading. So, if you are already completely new to this business, you should seek advice not from Yandex or Google, but from a more experienced master than you.

Lag alignment

We dealt with the screed safely. Now we level the floor on the loggia or balcony using wooden logs. Physically, this type of alignment is easier to accomplish, so you may not need the help of third parties. But this is only if you have a concrete understanding of this process. From building materials we need:

plywood or OSB (preferably at least 20 mm thick);
dry timber (preferably pine) with a section of 60 × 40 mm. But, in principle, 40 × 40 mm or 30 × 40 mm will do.

In addition, we need to prepare the following set of tools:

hacksaw for wood;
electric jigsaw;
electric circular saw;
drill perforator;
screwdriver;
building level (preferably laser);
roulette;
dowels / screws.

Now it's time to start installing the lag. First of all, you should remove all small debris from the surface, and then mark the floor level. In order to further protect the base from negative influences, a primer can be applied to it. Usually the floor in the room is above the level of the loggia or balcony floor. It goes without saying that the topcoat and frame should not exceed the floor level of the room. Use a laser or water level to mark the horizontal plane of the floor. Preferably, of course, laser. In this case, the procedure for marking working surfaces using a level is completely identical to how we marked the surfaces in the case of pouring the screed. For the installation of wooden logs, measure the distance from the balcony floor to the zero level, while marking the lowest and highest points.

Before laying the frame, roofing material should be laid as waterproofing. As a rule, it is laid with an overlap of 15 cm. The overlap on the walls should be at least 5 cm. However, special mastic can be used as waterproofing, which is evenly applied to the surface, and ordinary oilcloth, which is held together with ordinary wide tape.

Then install the wooden battens / joists on the waterproofing layer. For this purpose, I recommend using a dry pine bar with parameters of exactly 60 × 40 mm. Trims of the same timber can be used as supports for transverse logs, which should be placed at intervals of approximately 50 cm.Of course, they should be attached to the concrete floor using self-tapping screws, which should enter the dowel by at least 2 cm.This is where we need and hammer drill, and screwdriver. The step between the screws can be arbitrary. 15–20 cm will be enough.

In turn, the pitch between the beams is usually 50 cm. In low places, wooden blocks should be placed under the beams. During work, you need to constantly monitor the process with a building level so as not to make mistakes. Otherwise, the floor may become uneven.

The distance of the first log from the wall of the balcony should be approximately 10-15 cm, and the gap between the walls and the ends of the log should be from 5 cm. In construction, this distance is called the expansion gap. It is needed in order to give the lags a place for deformation during use. For example, if there is high humidity in the air, as is often the case in spring and autumn, the logs will inevitably swell and stretch. If you put them back to back, then most likely they will bend and ruin the flooring, such as laminate. In addition, each timber that is part of the sheathing should be treated with an antiseptic or, at least, a primer.

We will assume that the crate is ready. Now, it will be useful to place insulation in the frame section, for example, mineral wool or foam. In the cold season, there is always a cold floor on the balcony or loggia, so insulation will be very useful here. This, of course, is not a technology for underfloor heating, but rest assured that a properly installed insulation will also cope with its mission.

There is nothing particularly difficult when laying insulation. The main thing is to check that the edges of the foam or mineral wool pieces fit tightly to the frame elements, so that in the future so-called "cold islands" do not form on the floor. Mineral wool must not be tamped or exposed to moisture. For this reason, after laying it on top, a layer of waterproofing in the form of an oilcloth should be laid, which is fixed to the logs using a construction stapler with a step of 15–20 cm.

It will be advisable to fill the distance between the walls of the balcony and the frame elements with polyurethane foam. It also has thermal insulation properties.

Now that all the necessary steps have been completed, you can proceed to the installation of plywood or OSB. As we understand, the coating is attached to the wooden frame with self-tapping screws, and cut according to measurements using a jigsaw or an electric saw. Both between the sheets and the wall, and directly between the sheets, a gap should also be left, so as not to prevent the material from free deformation under the influence of changes in humidity and temperature. This distance should be 3–5 mm.

Laying the floor covering

After fixing the sheets, you can theoretically start laying the flooring. But you can go to this stage of work only if you have already done all the other work on the repair of the premises. That is, they insulated the walls, the parapet, completed the finishing of the walls and ceiling, and installed double-glazed windows.

On a flat and hard floor of a glazed balcony (it does not matter, concrete or plywood / OSB), you can lay absolutely any flooring: even parquet, even laminate, even linoleum. Naturally, the choice is yours, but I would recommend using semi-commercial or household linoleum on a foam base. The protective layer of a semi-commercial coating ranges from 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm. Accordingly, for household appliances - from 0.1 to 0.3 mm. I suppose that the floor on the balcony will not be subjected to frequent and intense mechanical stress, so that a coating with a protective layer of 0.2–0.3 mm will be quite sufficient.

On our site there are separate articles on the topics of how to lay linoleum on a wooden floor and how to lay linoleum on a concrete floor. I recommend that you familiarize yourself with these materials in order to avoid mistakes when laying. And now we will find out how to level the floor if you decide not to install double-glazed windows on the balcony.

How to level the base on an unglazed balcony?

This topic is quite extensive and worthy of coverage in a separate article. But here we will briefly go over the order of the required steps so that you can get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe process.

Most often, balconies in country houses are left unglazed. Why? Everything is very simple. The owners mostly come to the dacha in the summer, when nothing interferes with the comfortable use of the balcony space. In addition, a vine can often be seen around it. And picking bunches of grapes from a glazed balcony is not very convenient. When building a country house or just a private house, the owner, as a rule, expects that there is enough space in the house and there is no need to expand the living space, as is the case in city apartments.

Although I personally have noticed unglazed balconies in apartment buildings. Moreover, these were renovated balconies with a metal fence. In addition, deliberately unglazed balconies are often found, say, in hotels and hostels.

So, here's what work should be done to level the floor on an open balcony (which, presumably, will remain open):

dismantling the old tile / old screed with a hammer drill or chipper. Again, dismantling work should be done carefully so as not to overdo it and damage the stove itself. It is impossible to pour a new screed directly onto the old one, without dismantling. The structure will become very heavy, so it is not a fact that the balcony will withstand;
applying a primer;
formwork construction. At the same time, make sure that the solution does not flow down through the cracks onto the neighbors;
laying a reinforcing mesh and securing with self-tapping screws;
installation of guide beacons. You cannot do without them, since it is necessary to create a slope on an unglazed balcony so that snow and water do not linger on the floor. Typically this slope is 3–5 °. These beacons should be installed along the length of the wall so that the slope can be immediately determined from them (the one that is closer to the wall, of course, should be higher);
preparation and filling of the solution;
leveling using a rule.

Done. Now you need to wait for the mortar to dry and then lay the floor covering. For an open balcony, as you yourself understand, linoleum or laminate is not suitable. Here, floor tiles or garden parquet will be used. But for reasons of durability, I would still recommend quality tiles.

Naturally, when buying a tile, pay attention to its grade. And, of course, choose the first one. The second and third are, shall we say, not of the highest quality. Tile should be purchased with a margin, since anything is possible during the installation process. Maybe a few of your tiles will break after all.

If the balcony already has the desired slope, but the condition of the screed is not ideal, you can level the base with tiles. But, of course, you cannot lay the tiles on an unprepared base. Cracks need to be widened, cleaned of dust, primed on the damaged areas, and then cement mortar. The same goes for potholes on the work surface.

Now that all the irregularities have been patched up, you can start preparing the tile adhesive. Keep in mind that the glue used for indoor installation is not suitable for outdoor use.

The composition is applied using a notched trowel, the size of the teeth of which depends on the size of the tile itself. Here are the parameters to proceed from when choosing a spatula:

the size of the teeth is 4 × 4 mm. It is used for tiles measuring 10 × 10 cm, only (!) With a flat back;
the size of the teeth is 6 × 6 mm - for tiles measuring 20 × 20, 15 × 20 and 10 × 10 cm, which have an uneven back side;
8 × 8 mm - for tiles up to 30 × 30 cm;
10 × 10mm - for tiles 30 × 30 cm, the thickness of which is from 10 mm;
12.5 × 20/15 × 20 mm - tiles of a larger format than 30 × 30 cm.

Since, according to the condition of the problem, our screed is not completely even, a little more glue should be applied to its surface than usual. Glue should also be applied to the back of the tile using a notched trowel. The direction of the grooves on the floor surface and on the tiles should preferably be perpendicular. Special cross-stitches should be inserted between the tiles to help maintain the same distance between them. This distance is not just a decorative element, but, first of all, a delta gap. Thanks to him, the tile will last much longer. Typically this distance is 2 to 4 mm.

Glue that protrudes beyond the boundaries of the tile during installation should be wiped off. After laying the tiles and completely drying the glue, apply the grout with a rubber spatula, wipe the surfaces with a rag - and you're done.

High quality outdoor tiles, laid according to all the rules, will last at least 15–20 years. Therefore, this solution is not only aesthetically attractive, but also quite practical.

Instead of a conclusion

That's all for today, dear reader. Our text turned out to be quite voluminous, but I hope that you got an idea of \u200b\u200bleveling the floors on the loggia and balcony and found answers to your questions on the topic. Do not forget that the article is intended for people who are no longer completely newbies in the repair and construction craft, so if you still have questions, you can safely ask them in the comments below the text.

P.S. For clarity, watch a video that demonstrates the process of leveling the floor using a self-leveling mixture:

The floor on the balcony (loggia) in most city apartments is a concrete slab without finishing. This means that when landscaping a balcony, a considerable part of the cost and time will have to be devoted to leveling the floor and preparing it for laying the finishing coating. Let's figure out how to do it yourself.

What materials can you use?

If the balcony is high-quality glazed, insulated and heated by radiators or using a floor heating system, then you can choose any materials for leveling and finishing surfaces. The same as in the living rooms.

A glazed balcony without heating is also protected from atmospheric precipitation, but is subject to temperature changes, which can affect the appearance of condensation. Therefore, it is recommended to use moisture resistant materials for such premises. For leveling the floor, plywood, gypsum fiber board, moisture-resistant plasterboard, DSP, OSB, screeds are suitable. Linoleum, tiles, carpet, moisture-resistant laminate (class 33-34) are used as a finish.

The most difficult case is an open balcony, on the floor of which rain and snow fall, and in winter freezing temperatures reign. Such floors can be leveled with screeds, DSP sheets, OSB. Finish coatings: ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, decking.

It is very important to remember that a balcony is a slab, three sides of which are suspended. It is undesirable to overload it. Therefore, the construction of the floor on the balcony should be as light as possible. If leveling requires raising the floor 20 cm, do not use a heavy cement screed. Give preference to floors on logs that practically do not load the slab. Cement screeds are good if the floor needs to be leveled 3-5 cm and no more.

How to determine the level of a clean floor?

When they decided on the material, another question arises: to what level should the floor be leveled? You can use the water level (spirit level). To do this, they put a risk on the wall of the balcony in an arbitrary place, with the help of a spirit level they make marks at the same level on other walls. A line (horizon) is drawn along the points obtained. In the highest places of the floor (determined visually), measure the distance to the horizon. The thickness of the floor structure is subtracted from the smallest measurement and the resulting distance from the horizon to the floor is set aside. Guided by this point, using the water level, mark the level of the "clean floor".

Easier to use laser level. It is enough to install it in the highest corner of the balcony, turn it on and he himself, using laser points or a line, will indicate an even horizontal. On it and need to be equal when installing the floor.

DIYers often use a regular bubble level to create a horizontal line. You need to act like this: they determine the highest angle of the room by eye, put a mark on the floor. The height of the floor structure is measured upwards from the resulting mark. Using a level, draw a straight line along the mark, extending it along the perimeter of the balcony. However, this method has too large an error, so it is not used for high-quality alignment.

Leveling with cement screed

This is one of the safest ways to get a flat and durable surface. It is used if the height of the required leveling is 3-5 cm. The screed is less than 3 cm fragile and is likely to crack quickly. At the same time, a screed thicker than 5 cm will unnecessarily overload the balcony ceiling.

Materials and tools required for work:

waterproofing primer for concrete;
cement, sand or ready-made mixtures (cement mortar or sand concrete);
lighthouses, boards for formwork - as required;
building level;
metal rule;
trowel (for laying out or mixing the solution);
mixer;
brush or roller (for primer).

The work technology is as follows. They remove debris, clean the surface of dust, oil stains, chipped concrete parts. All cracks are sealed with cement or plaster mortar. Then a primer is applied to the surface, which will strengthen the adhesion of the screed to the concrete slab and additionally act as a waterproofing agent.

If the balcony is open, with a lattice fence, then, to prevent the screed from spreading, a temporary formwork is installed along the edge of the slab. Most often, thin boards or plywood perform its role. A balcony with a monolithic fence does not need formwork.

Then beacons are installed. They are long metal guides with a reinforced profile. They are cut into pieces equal to the length of the balcony, and installed every 50-60 cm. The top of the lighthouses must coincide with the upper level of the planned screed. For standard narrow balconies, 2 beacons are enough.

The lighthouses are fixed on cement or gypsum mortar, carefully adjusting their level to the level. After 2-3 hours, after the solution has solidified, the beacons will be ready to be filled with a screed.

When performing a screed on a small balcony, the formwork boards can play the role of guides, the top of which is hewn to the desired level.

Then the cement mortar for the screed is kneaded. The optimum ratio of cement to sand is 1: 3. So much water is needed to make the solution look like thick sour cream; on average, 10 kg of dry mixture requires 2 liters of water. The components are mixed either manually (using a trowel) or with a mixer. The ready-made mixture, of course, is more convenient to use - you do not need to verify the components, it is enough to seal the mixture with water and stir.

Now pour the solution onto the floor. With a metal rule, the solution is leveled by pulling it along the beacons. In hot and dry weather, cover the wet screed with foil or burlap. This will prevent the mortar from drying out quickly and cracking.

After 1-2 days, the formwork is removed. If necessary, take out the beacons (you can leave them in the screed). The paths from the lighthouses and the gaps remaining from the formwork along the edges of the screed are sealed with a thick cement mortar. The surface is leveled with a float (foam or wood). After 1-3 weeks, a finishing coating is laid on the finished screed: linoleum, laminate, tiles, decking, etc.

Leveling the floor with self-leveling mortar

If the existing irregularities on the concrete floor are less than 3 cm, then it is undesirable to apply a conventional cement screed. Most likely it will crack. There is a more reliable way to make a thin, absolutely flat and smooth surface - to use self-leveling solutions. The thickness of such screeds can vary from 3 mm to 3 cm.

For a self-leveling screed device, you need: a primer, a self-leveling compound, a spatula, a brush or roller (for priming), a needle roller (for deaerating the screed) and a mixer.

The alignment goes like this:

The floor is cleaned of chips, paint, grease and oil stains. Cracks in the floor, between the slab and the walls are repaired. Dust the surface with a vacuum cleaner - construction or household.
The cleaned floor is primed with a brush or roller. According to the instructions, the primer gains strength in 4-6 hours. It is advisable to maintain this interval before moving on to the next stage of work. Despite the fact that the primer dries much faster - in the summer in 1-2 hours.
The leveling mixture is closed with water, mixed with a mixer until a liquid, flowing state.
Pour the mixture onto the floor, try to distribute it evenly. Level the screed with a metal spatula.
Rolled on a liquid surface with a needle roller to remove air bubbles from the mixture.
Such a screed freezes for 1-2 days, after which you can walk on it. Finishing is performed only after 1-2 weeks, according to the recommendations of the manufacturers of specific mixtures.

How to level the floor using this technology, look at the video:

Dry screed

A dry screed on the balcony will help you out if you need to not only level, but also insulate the floor. At the same time, there is no desire to interrupt the technological process while the cement slurry is solidifying. The dry screed is ready for further finishing immediately after its creation. Another advantage is the speed of installation. On the balcony, the dry screed will only take a few hours.

To install a dry screed, you will need to purchase: loose thermal insulation material - expanded clay (or coarse sand, slag), subfloor elements (GSP, GVL, CSP, OSB), polyethylene film (waterproofing), self-tapping screws, edging tape (made of foamed polyethylene), adhesive tape or masking tape, U-shaped profiles as beacons, a grater and a rule.

Dry screed technology:

Prepare the floor. They clean it from debris, dust. The cracks are filled with cement mortar. The cracks between the slab and the walls are filled with polyurethane foam.
Along the perimeter of the walls, an edge (damper) tape is laid, which acts as a sound-insulating material. If you skip this installation step, the subfloor slabs will make quite noisy sounds when they come into contact with the walls.
Proceed with waterproofing. To do this, a plastic wrap is laid on a concrete slab, leading it over the walls 6-10 cm above the level of the future floor. The edges of the film are fixed with tape.
Beacons are installed - thick-walled U-shaped profiles, which will help to more accurately align the expanded clay layer. They are laid on the floor along long walls without fastening, with the wide (support) side down, check the horizontalness with the rule. The level of the upper edges of the profiles must coincide with the planned level of the expanded clay layer.
Between the profiles, expanded clay is poured with a layer of 3-7 cm. Stretching the rule along the beacons, the resulting surface is leveled. The remaining irregularities are smoothed out with a float. To move along the expanded clay layer, use "footpaths" made of square sheets of plywood or gypsum fiber board, laid out in the form of paths.
Laying slabs. To be able to connect them together (they will not be attached to the floor!), Use slabs with grooves. They are laid, pressing them as tightly as possible against the wall. Then the structure will be able to withstand any loads no worse than a concrete screed. The joints in the grooves are glued with construction glue and fastened with self-tapping screws with a step of 5-10 cm.
The parts of the edging tape and polyethylene film that rise above the floor are cut to the level of the covering plates.

This technology is reproduced step by step in the video:

Leveling the floor using a lag

This method will help level, raise and insulate the floor. And at the same time, practically do not load the concrete base of the balcony. According to the technology, a crate is made of a bar on the floor, which is sewn on top with boards or board material. Any communications, waterproofing and insulation can be laid inside such a floor.

Required materials: timber, insulation (mineral wool, polystyrene, expanded clay), waterproofing film (optional), self-tapping screws, dowels, lag sheathing material (boards, plywood, OSB, GVL, GSP).

Alignment is performed according to the following plan:

Remove debris and dust from the concrete surface using a broom and a vacuum cleaner (construction or household).
If under the concrete slab of the balcony there is an open space or an unglazed neighbor's balcony, it is necessary to waterproof the floor. For this, a plastic wrap is laid on the floor, the edges are brought onto the walls. Instead of a film, you can use combined materials that simultaneously serve as a hydro and heat insulator. A known such material is penofol.
On top of the waterproofing, lags are fixed - wooden bars. Usually, bars with a section of 50x50 mm are used, but this size can be adjusted depending on the height of the planned floor structure. If it is necessary to increase it, it is allowed to lay the bars in several tiers in height, securing them together with self-tapping screws. The lags are fixed to the floor with dowels in increments of 40-50 cm.The distance from the extreme bars to the walls is kept about 5-10 cm.
Insulation is placed between the bars. If the balcony is open, then in this capacity it is better to use foam or expanded clay. All modern heaters can be used on the glazed balcony: glass wool, basalt wool, EPS, etc. When laying the insulation, you should leave as few gaps as possible, which will lead to the appearance of cold bridges.
From above, the logs are sewn up with finishing material: grooved boards, plywood, DSP, GVL, GSP, OSB.

The master will tell and show how to make the floor on the logs:

After completing the leveling, you can lay the finishing finish on the subfloor: carpet, laminate, linoleum, tiles, decking.