An ordinary unglazed balcony brings little benefit to its owners. The maximum how it can be used is as a dumping ground for various trash, a clothes dryer and a smoking area. And even then, the last two points in winter may disappear. But if the balcony is glazed and well insulated, then it’s a completely different matter. It practically becomes an additional room in the house, and you can use it for many more purposes.
Balcony glazing, as a rule, is carried out by specialists. This is a rather difficult job that requires experience, knowledge and accuracy. Therefore, it is recommended to resort to the help of specialized companies if you decide to glaze and insulate the balcony. But if this option does not suit you, then in principle you can try to insulate the balcony yourself.
For glazing a balcony, you need to choose only metal-plastic windows, since wooden ones are very short-lived, and metal ones do not retain heat well. It is desirable that the windows are sliding – this will save a lot of space when opening them. But if you put hinged doors, then choose windows with small sashes. For a balcony, you should buy windows with a large profile thickness and energy-saving glass – this will provide good thermal insulation.
Balcony insulation consists of insulation of external walls, ceiling and floor. It is advisable to insulate the ceiling and walls facing the street with several layers of penofol – foamed polyethylene covered with aluminum foil. This material provides good protection against heat loss, does not pass or absorb water, has good sound insulation, you can also buy raw rubber for better insulation. To begin with, close all the cracks with construction tape so that the balcony is not blown anywhere. Then fasten wooden slats along the walls and on the ceiling to which the insulation will be attached.
Attach the first layer of foam to the rails, then lay the foam panels on top of it. Again, lay a layer of penofol on top of the foam. This triple insulation will provide reliable protection from the cold in winter. The floor is insulated with the same materials: you can put one or more layers of penofol, and lay a laminate on top of it. Then finish the ceiling and walls with drywall and install skirting boards. Everything, now the balcony is not afraid of any weather vagaries!
