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Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

This post provides a guide to insulating and decorating a loggia by oneself, enabling homemakers to construct a comfortable and attractive living space at an affordable cost. It begins with a list of materials and tools needed for the project, which includes insulation panels, wood, screws and nails, paint, and protective coatings. The article then outlines each step of the process, from measuring and attaching the insulation panels to the walls and ceilings, to sanding the wood and applying the paint and protective coatings. Finally, the post offers a few tips for making the loggia both aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient. DIY insulation and decoration of the loggia is a great way to enhance the appearance and comfort of the home at an economical price.

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The loggia is considered by us as an integral part of the living space, although the enclosing structures of this room do not comply with thermal protection standards. We have collected a squeeze of useful recommendations on the correct insulation and decoration of the loggia with our own hands.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

Technical part and coordination

There are several opinions about the technical and functional significance of the loggia as an element of architecture. On the one hand, this is an exclusively utility room, designed mostly for storing anything and a short stay in the fresh air. However, in the current trends in housing arrangement, much more attention is paid to loggias, they are trying to turn them into comfortable recreation areas, and storage of things is organized with maximum rationality. Sometimes the loggia even joins the main room, and then serves as its additional area and performs specific functions.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

Such a transformation is impossible without high-quality insulation of the enclosing structures. To make it possible to spend time comfortably on the loggia during the cold period, heating is organized on it. Even if heating is not carried out in a constant mode, it will be very costly and long to warm up the air and the main surfaces, if the thermal protection is not improved. Warming measures not only contribute to the improvement of the indoor climate, they also allow in the future to remove the window block, while the temperature in the adjoining room will decrease by no more than 2-3 ยฐ ะก.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

Is it legal to carry out such modifications? The fact is that the type of glazing and fencing of the loggia, as well as the method of its finishing, are not regulated by any building codes. On the other hand, the correct insulation of the loggia may require the transfer of the parapet or the construction of a new one; a decision may be made to change the configuration of the entrance opening or expand the loggia, which in certain cases requires efforts to legitimize improvements. However, for standard loggias, only one formal requirement applies โ€“ the presence of internal glazing between the room and the extension. And if this glazing is eventually removed, then the chosen method of insulation and decoration should allow the balcony block to be returned to its place at least temporarily at the time of the inspection organizationโ€™s visit to the apartment.

Warm glazing junction

Each owner of an apartment with a loggia must clearly understand that the insulation of its walls, floor and parapet will be absolutely useless if warm glazing is not installed. Moreover: this glazing must be installed correctly, and in the places where the frame adjoins the enclosing structures, a continuous thermal break must be ensured. Without these measures, the โ€œinsulatedโ€ loggia with a beautiful finish turns into an expensive toy that cannot be heated and, accordingly, staying on it in the winter will never be called comfortable.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

The most important rule when installing glazing is that the frames should adjoin the enclosing structures on all sides, that is, they should simply be placed inside the box, but not protrude from it. Often this requires moving the supporting masonry inside, because most of the fences of the loggias in typical houses are strongly taken out, or even simply installed in an overhead way. Another flaw is also possible, when the existing parapet does not provide sufficient stability, due to which, under the influence of wind loads, the glazing looses, and its abutment loses its heat-saving properties.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

Thermal insulation of window frames from walls must be performed without fail and in compliance with a number of rules. The glazing never adjoins the structure of the loggia closely, it is necessary to ensure that the installation gaps are at least 30 mm, where a full-fledged foam seam will subsequently be arranged. In this case, the foam must be protected from moisture and ultraviolet radiation without fail. The best way to provide this protection is to use self-adhesive tape on the outside of the abutment contour, and then cover the seams with a drip from the bottom, a drip on the top, and slotted strips on the sides. After installing the glazing from the inside with the help of mounting foam, it is necessary to eliminate all fistulas and fill all the voids of capital structures: not only along the contour of the abutment of the windows, but also in the floor and walls.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

Insulation and floor heating

The device of the insulated floor on the loggia is required. You should not flatter yourself with hopes that the floor will be warm due to the fact that the neighborsโ€™ loggia is insulated from below. The problem is that the heating technology of concrete consoles of loggias is very different from apartment floors. A concrete slab above and below the loggia always has a temperature comparable to that of a street, and therefore the internal climate on both sides is not interrelated in any way.

Also, for a loggia, placing heating in the floor is considered the best option. Regardless of whether the loggia is connected, it is not constantly heated, but few will want to wait until the floor reaches the air temperature. Therefore, for heating a loggia, it is reasonable to use either a heating film under the floor covering, or IR emitters. The latter, by the way, can not always be used: if the loggia has ceilings below 2.5 m, infrared heating will be uncomfortable for people.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

In order to fully insulate the floor on the loggia, at least 100 mm should be laid under the covering, or better โ€“ full 150 mm of insulation. In this case, the floor is arranged according to frame technology with sheet materials covering. Initially, a system of longitudinal logs is mounted with an offset of 100โ€“120 mm from the parapet and about 50 mm from the warm wall. Two beams with a thickness of 50 mm or more are installed on the mounting wedges and aligned so that they form a common horizontal plane. The bars are fastened through the body with frame anchors to the concrete slab of the loggia. If the distance between the longitudinal lags exceeds 60 cm, additional.

The second row of the lag has a transverse direction. They are laid on top, if necessary, leveled with linings and attached to the bottom row with self-tapping screws. The installation step of the beams should be at least 40 cm, its specific value is determined by the format of the sheet materials used, the joints between which must be in the center of the log. The thickness of the beams must be chosen so that, in the end, the rough covering is laid over the existing sill tightly and adjoins the frame of the balcony block as low as possible.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

All the free space between the logs must be filled with mineral wool without the formation of voids, but without over-sealing the insulation. After that, a rough covering of plywood or particle boards with a total thickness of 20 mm or more is sewn onto the frame base. All joints between the slabs and from the walls are carefully sealed with polyurethane foam to prevent the blowing of insulation particles during floor vibrations. After curing and cutting the foam, heating and flooring can be installed, but this is usually done after finishing the walls.

Formation of a closed thermal loop

For such a small room with such a large area of โ€‹โ€‹fences in contact with the outside air, it is extremely important to have a continuous heat protection belt without cold bridges. On the one hand, this is achieved by thoroughly sealing all joints between the walls and concrete slabs, thus eliminating convection heat transfer routes. However, the need for the main insulating layer does not disappear anywhere, while the loggia should be insulated with as little loss of useful space as possible.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

It is better to choose polyurethane foam in the format of plates with a thickness of 25 mm with grooved edges as the main material for insulation. The insulation is glued along the side walls and parapet with polyurethane mounting glue. The main difference between glue and foam is the minimum degree of expansion during polymerization. After applying the glue to the cleaned and primed surface, it is left for 2-3 minutes, and then applied on top of the slab and aligned with the rest. Thus, the basic geometry of the room is formed and local irregularities are eliminated..

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

The second stage of insulation is covering all internal surfaces, with the exception of the floor and the warm wall, with a roll of insulation made of polyethylene foam 6โ€“8 mm thick, one side of which has a reflective coating. This material is also allowed to be glued, but it would be much better to fasten with disc dowels with a step of about 40 cm.It is advisable to put the joints between the canvases on glue or seal with a special tape.

Wall and ceiling decoration

For finishing the loggia, the most suitable material is PVC siding for interior work. These panels have a honeycomb structure and have a low heat transfer coefficient. Siding does not require thorough surface preparation; it can be fixed even on the simplest wooden lathing with a thickness of 20 mm.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

Siding for interior work has a vertical orientation, respectively, the lathing is located in the horizontal direction in increments of 40โ€“45 cm. The lower and upper planks should be installed at a distance of 20 mm from the floor and ceiling, in which case it will be much easier to fix the skirting boards. The lathing is fastened through the insulation using plastic dowels for quick installation, leveling in a single plane is provided by linings. On the ceiling, the crate is located along the loggia with a nominal pitch.

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

Do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of the loggia

The finishing panels are fixed with a construction stapler. Each next panel from the set is tightly pressed against the previous one until the moment when the joint becomes visually indistinguishable, then one bracket is attached to each lathing strip. In the corners, instead of using docking corner profiles, it is better to cut the panels from the wrong side and bend them, warming the bending line with a hairdryer. This ensures not only a reduction in scrap, but also a higher aesthetics of the finish. The optimal finishing order is as follows: first the ceiling, then the walls, starting from the outer wall, and then the floor and corner strips. Closing the contour of the wall decoration is usually performed in the area of โ€‹โ€‹the window part of the balcony block, in this place the additional element will be the least noticeable, in addition, the decoration in the window area opens into the lower and upper belt.

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Comments: 4
  1. Cambria

    Can you provide some tips or guidelines for do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of a loggia? Iโ€™m interested in tackling this project myself but could use some guidance on the best materials, techniques, and potential challenges to be aware of. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Juniper

    Is it possible to do insulation and decoration of the loggia by myself, or would it be recommended to hire professionals for the job?

    Reply
  3. Evelyn Robertson

    Iโ€™m curious to know if anyone has experience with do-it-yourself insulation and decoration of a loggia. Iโ€™m considering undertaking this project and would appreciate any advice or tips from those who have done it before. What materials did you use for insulation? Did you encounter any challenges during the process? And what kind of decoration did you opt for? Any insights would be greatly helpful. Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Evelyn Campbell

      I have experience with DIY insulation and decoration of a loggia. For insulation, I used fiberglass batts and foam panels. The challenges I faced were ensuring proper fitting and sealing of the insulation to prevent drafts. As for decoration, I opted for a combination of outdoor furniture, potted plants, and hanging lights to create a cozy atmosphere. One tip I would give is to make sure you properly clean and prepare the surfaces before starting the project. Good luck with your loggia project!

      Reply
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