How to lay the floor on the balcony?

Are you thinking of updating your balcony? Laying the floor is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make. Selecting the appropriate flooring is essential whether your goal is to improve insulation, improve aesthetics, or just create a more comfortable outdoor space. The choices, which range from decking to tiles, can be daunting, but with the correct strategy, you can turn your balcony into a chic and useful addition to your home.

Think about things like weather resistance, upkeep needs, and visual appeal when choosing balcony flooring. Because of their stainability and ease of cleaning, tiles are a popular option. They are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, and they are available in a variety of materials, including natural stone, porcelain, and ceramic. As an alternative, wooden decking has a warm, natural appearance that is ideal for setting up a comfortable outdoor setting. Whatever material you decide on, make sure it fits your needs both practically and artistically for your balcony.

Examine your balcony’s condition before installation. Make sure it is sufficiently waterproofed and structurally sound to avoid causing moisture damage to your newly installed flooring. A seamless and durable installation depends on careful preparation, which may include cleaning and possibly leveling the surface. In addition, especially in regions with variable weather, think about adding a waterproofing layer underneath the flooring to guard against moisture and rain.

Why do you need a floor on the balcony?

There are various reasons why flooring needs to be installed on balconies and loggias.

• lack of aesthetic appearance of the balcony slab – bare concrete does not fit into the interior of the apartment;
• the need to level the base of the floor – in most series of houses the slab is sloped to allow rainwater to drain;
• It’s cold on the glazed balcony/loggia. It needs to be insulated. This can only be done using the “warm floor” system;
• floor lifting is required to create a convenient transition from the apartment to the balcony.

Criteria for choosing material for finishing the floor on the balcony

Certain requirements must be met by the flooring material. Among them are:

• affordable price. After all, rebuilding a balcony is costly in itself. Not everyone can afford to pay extra money for expensive materials;
• durability. According to a number of experts, the service life of a floor is determined by the price factor: cheap materials have a service life of 8-10 years, medium ones – 8-10, expensive ones – 15 years or more. We cannot agree with this formulation of the question. Firstly, on the balcony the intensity of use of the floor covering is several times lower, which automatically extends the service life, and secondly, not all cheap materials have low durability. A striking example is linoleum in Khrushchev-era buildings, which faithfully served apartment owners for 20 years or more;
• strength – should not deform, crack, sag, or fail;
• moisture resistance, which is especially important for open types of balconies;
• frost resistance. This factor must be taken into account in open loggias and balconies and closed but unheated ones;
• Resistance to ultraviolet – do not burn out in the sun;
• Small weight, t.To. There are restrictions on the mechanical load on the balcony plate. For example, in a glazed balcony on a screed with a thickness of more than 4 cm, you cannot lay a tile or porcelain tile;
• Beautiful appearance – the aesthetic side of the question has not disappeared anywhere. To make a floor sharply dissonating with the interior of the apartment will not allow himself to be a single home owner;
• Simple care.

Adding a new floor to your balcony requires careful planning and the right materials. Every stage is essential to building a long-lasting and eye-catching outdoor area, from selecting appropriate flooring options like tiles or decking to preparing the surface and guaranteeing adequate drainage. This guide provides helpful advice on how to measure and level the balcony, choose materials that are resistant to the elements, and install them correctly to improve both appearance and functionality. Understanding the fundamentals of balcony flooring is essential for any remodeling project, whether your goal is to create a comfortable retreat or a useful addition to your house.

Material options

The balcony floor can be covered with a variety of materials:

• tile;
• porcelain tiles;
• terrace (deck) board;
• floorboard;
• laminate;
• linoleum;
• parquet board;
• carpet;
• self -leveling mixtures (bulk floors).

Every one of them has unique benefits and drawbacks as well as technical and operational traits.

Tile

The most popular type of ceramic finishing material is thought to be tiles. It is created by pressing and firing a combination of feldspar, quartz sand, and kaolin (white clay) at very high temperatures. The composition is altered by adding different additives to give it unique properties. This technology has led to the creation of a floor covering with numerous benefits:

• high tensile strength;
• good level of hardness;
• long service life;
• resistance to high temperatures, water, ultraviolet rays;
• frost resistance;
• easy care, and, therefore, hygiene;
• environmentally friendly – not an allergen, does not emit harmful substances during operation;
• affordable price;
• large selection of assortments;
• a variety of designs that can satisfy any consumer needs.

There are also shortcomings:

• the surface is slippery, especially on smooth tiles when wet. This point must be taken into account when installing the floor on an unglazed balcony;
• the floor covering is cold to the touch;
• tile conducts sounds perfectly.

It is important to discuss tiles’ high heat conductivity separately. As t.To. conducts heat well, this can be a huge plus in some situations (a "warm floor") or a drawback in others (the tiles on open, uninsulated balconies will always be cold).

When selecting tiles, you should consider:

• by thickness – thin tiles can burst during operation, thick tiles can create a critical load on the balcony slab. The optimal value of the indicator is 8-12 mm;
• dimensions – large tiles visually reduce the area of ​​the balcony, small ones, on the contrary, increase. The golden mean of the length of the sides is in the range of 25-35 cm;
• frost resistance. For heated balconies the indicator does not play any role. For open and closed cold – the most important criterion. After all, its durability depends on how many freezing/thawing cycles the ceramics can withstand;
• density – affects the weight load of a concrete slab. Should be within 15-20 kg/m2;
• color. Dark – visually reduces the size of the balcony, light shades – expand the space. The color scheme of tiles for balconies on the north side is especially important. Experts advise buying tiles with neutral tones, without bright patterns;
• surface texture – on mirror-smooth tiles in rain and snow it is easy to get injured as a result of a fall. Therefore, the surface must be corrugated.

Porcelain tiles

From the outside, the porcelain stoneware floor slab resembles tiles. Additionally, the mixture’s composition is nearly identical. The primary distinction is in the way that it fires. However, these are distinct materials. Tiles made of porcelain are more resilient to freezing cycles and stronger. Disparities also exist in the drawbacks. Ceramic tiles:

• more fragile, which, firstly, requires careful transportation (on an edge), and secondly, a very flat surface;
• has a more complex installation – it is more difficult to do floor covering work with your own hands;
• heavier than tiles, which must be taken into account when working on the balcony;
• costs more.

Terrace board

A terrace board is a hard wood floorboard (oak, larch, cedar, sequoia, etc.) with "anti-slip" applied on both sides (compensation grooves 1-2 mm deep) in the traditional sense. When laying, a gap is left, removing the possibility of a spike.

Within the contemporary building sector, decking refers to a pseudo-board composed of a wood-polymer composite material. There are many benefits to having this kind of flooring:

• quick assembly – logs and fasteners included;
• light weight – together with the logs, the load on the slab is only 22-35 kg/m2;
• high bending strength and abrasion;
• resistance to various types of mechanical impact (falling objects, pressure from the legs of heavy furniture);
• easy care;
• resistance to temperature changes, rain, snow, sunlight;
• good thermal insulation properties;
• beautiful appearance (decorative);
• ecological cleanliness.

The majority of consumers are unable to purchase such flooring due to its high cost.

Batten

During the Soviet era, wood was used as the floor material in roughly 60 out of 100 glassed-in balconies. A prestigious finishing option was to lay planed pine boards on the concrete base and cover the walls with clapboard. This kind of flooring is still useful today.

This is because there exist opportunities to modify wood’s decorative qualities in addition to enhancing many of its performance attributes. The misconception that a wooden floor in a modern home appears too cheap or impoverished has thus disproved.

Among the benefits It is important to note this kind of floor:

• durability – proper preparation of the board for laying on joists or sheathing allows even on an open balcony, with proper care, to achieve a service life of 20-25 years;

• moisture resistance – paradoxically, rain and snow do not harm the boards much in the open air. In humid conditions they will swell a little, in dry weather they will dry out. The only trouble is that there will be small gaps between them. There is no danger of the floorboards twisting – they are short. Leads and bends usually long boards;
• warm tactile surface – pleasant to walk barefoot;
• environmentally friendly – the material is not hypoallergenic;
• the ability to easily restore the surface by scraping;
• resistance against rot and mold, thanks to impregnation with antiseptics and waterproof compounds;
• lack of reaction to severe frosts – the boards do not freeze;
• the ability to impart unusual decorative properties to surfaces using:

1. artificial aging;
2. firing with a hair dryer or blowtorch;
3. applying translucent water-based impregnations, etc.d.

• a cozy atmosphere in the room with the smells of natural wood.

Drawbacks:

• difficult to clean – debris gets stuck in the cracks. You can only get it with a vacuum cleaner and not always;
• biting price – for the floor of a balcony in a Khrushchev building you will only need 3.5-3.9 thousand worth of boards. rub. To this you need to add logs, fasteners. As a result, a wooden floor is cheaper only than parquet boards and parquet;
• incompatibility with “warm floors” due to low thermal conductivity. In addition, due to constant exposure to high temperatures, wood dries out and cracks;
• labor-intensive installation process.

Laminate

Only well-insulated and waterproofed balconies can use laminate flooring. Installing laminate flooring on any other kind of balcony or loggia equates to wasting money. The explanation is straightforward: at high humidity, lamellae are destroyed. Moreover, laminated panel options that are moisture-resistant do not improve the situation. Additionally, the locking connections break because they cannot withstand operating conditions.

Its advantages are as follows:

• durability;
• easy care;
• strength;
• simple installation technology – you can lay the bed yourself;
• a variety of designs – you can choose the floor covering to suit every taste based on color and texture;
• compatibility with “warm floors” – manufacturers offer special types of lamellas with a high level of thermal conductivity and heat resistance;
• environmental safety – European manufacturers have solved the problem of emission of formaldehyde resin components;
• accessibility to mass buyers due to reasonable price.

TO’s shortcomings are attributable to:

• strict requirements for the subfloor: it must be level, smooth and durable. Cement screed is ideal for these conditions. But the large weight of the cement-sand mortar creates a high load on the balcony slab. Therefore, under the laminate you need to lay plywood, OSB, chipboard. This complicates the technology and increases the cost of work;
• noisiness – laminate flooring resonates noise on the screed, and when laid on the flooring, it turns into a powerful amplifier of sound waves.

Linoleum

Low-cost flooring alternative: linoleum. Nearly all Russian families have read the books. After all, it can be found in a brand-new structure, an urban apartment, a rural home, or a dacha. Any level surface can be quickly and simply covered with a practical floor covering. Among the additional benefits are:

• durability – is inherent, however, not in all types of linoleum, but in those produced using special technology. Such material is called differently: homogeneous, heterogeneous, sports;

• low price (does not apply to commercial linoleum);
• Easy care – just wipe with a damp cloth;
• increased moisture resistance;
• good sound insulation qualities – there is no noise when objects fall;
• variety of patterns and textures – modern types are so similar to laminate and tile that only specialists can distinguish them;
• good compatibility with the "warm floor" – has good thermal conductivity;
• increased resistance to abrasion.

Minuscules Additionally, though they are scarce, there are also:

• Cheap types of linoleum burn out in the sun and are afraid of negative temperatures;
• Dents remain from the legs of furniture, which can be restored for years, which, however, is not significant on the balcony;
• Many fakes for well -known brands with very low quality.

Parquet board

Parquet flooring is the ideal choice for a heated balcony. However, considering the function that this kind of flooring serves on the balcony or loggia, this is pricey and excessive. The owner of the apartment will receive a gorgeous, long-lasting floor if there is still time to buy a parquet board.

The floor covering also offers the following advantages:

• tactically warm surface;
• huge assortment;
• Simple styling technology – you do not need a master;
• compatibility with all types of “warm floor”;
• good sound-absorbing properties;
• ecological cleanliness.

Disadvantages include an expensive price tag, a fear of dampness, and a lackluster top layer of wood that is prone to scratches.

Carpet

Carpet is a rare choice for flooring on a closed balcony or loggia. Not every owner chooses to use it to cover the floor. but ineffective. The content has a number of "delicious" qualities.

• the ability to choose an option based on performance characteristics and design to suit your financial capabilities. This means that carpet has a wide range of prices – you can buy inexpensively, both a low-budget option (made from artificial materials) and an ultra-expensive one (made from natural raw materials), which is close in cost to carpets;
• a soft, warm surface that is pleasant to walk on barefoot or even just lie around (children especially like this floor);

• beautiful appearance;
• can be placed on a screed or flooring;
• good absorption of airborne street noise;
• excellent thermal insulation properties, and therefore there is no single point of view on compatibility with “warm floors”. Some say it can be installed, others don’t recommend it. According to the editors of the StroyGuru website, everything depends on the thickness of the carpet. The long, soft pile does not allow heat from the heating elements to pass into the room, which is why the balcony slab is mainly heated, not the balcony, which means unnecessary electricity consumption. With short pile there are practically no such problems, although here, compared to tiles, energy consumption is higher.

Minuses are also present. The hardest of them is how hard it is to get rid of different kinds of stains. Housewives also mention carpet’s capacity to gather dust (the fiber is also referred to as a "dust collector") and its aversion to moisture. If there is a washing vacuum cleaner in the house, problems can be resolved with ease.

Self-leveling floor

You can use the chance to pour the floor on the balcony in place of using conventional flooring materials. In order to achieve this, self-leveling compounds are required, which enable the balcony slab to be coated in an unbreakable layer. Regarding this gender:

• record wear resistance;
• almost absolute moisture resistance;

• resistance to ultraviolet radiation, frost, sudden fluctuations in temperature and humidity;
• easy care;
• stylish look (to obtain the original look of the self-leveling floor, a stained glass method of decoration is used).

Third drawback:

• high price;
• slippery surface;
• strict requirements for the base: it must be even, clean and smooth. Otherwise it will start to bubble and peel off.

What to choose

You must understand one important distinction before deciding which material is ideal for a balcony or loggia floor: a balcony and a loggia are two different things entirely. It has to do with how differently the balcony and loggia slabs can support weight.

Nearly the whole balcony slab is suspended in midair. Pinching one side into the wall to a depth of 30 cm (less frequently than two, in the event of a corner wall) is how fastening is accomplished. As a result, the typical load is only 200–250 kg/m2. Thus, the stringent specifications for the kind of flooring.

The loggia is situated on a floor slab and is bounded by walls on three sides. The weight of the screed and floor covering is therefore unrestricted. In light of the article’s subject, we will only discuss the balcony in the future.

Numerous factors influence the flooring selection for the balcony, including:

• type of balcony (open, closed cold, closed heated);
• type of heating that is planned to be installed on the balcony.

For an unglazed balcony

The conditions in which an open balcony will be used and specific technological requirements must be considered when selecting the type of floor.

Conditions of use. The flooring will be impacted annually by abrupt temperature and humidity changes, which can cause the floor to freeze, get wet, dry out, or be exposed to rain, snow, and UV rays. All of this limits the use of carpet, laminate, and parquet flooring.

Technological prerequisites. The way a balcony slab operates is altered when the floor is laid on an open balcony.

• Mechanical load changes. Raising the floor level using a wet screed followed by laying tiles or porcelain tiles leads to an additional load on the balcony of 120-150 kg/m2 . It"s a lot. Therefore, the combination of screed with ceramics is undesirable.
• To prevent puddles from standing on the balcony after rain or snow for weeks, the floor must have a slope of at least 3 o . This cannot be achieved with self-leveling mixtures. In addition, another danger arises: if there is a slight slope, there is a risk of slipping on a smooth surface, which excludes polished tiles and some types of linoleum from the list. From the range of porcelain tiles, you can use satin tiles and tiles with relief grooves.
• There is a risk of cracking of the balcony slab in winter during severe frosts. The reason is that an open slab dries quickly, but moisture remains under the floor for a long time. Once it gets into microcracks, it expands them when they freeze. Therefore, waterproofing work is imperative, which is ignored by many.

Recap the main points. For an open balcony, decking boards and flooring work well. Frost-resistant linoleum with a textured surface and satin porcelain tiles will function nicely. Furthermore, the screed can be sanded before being painted with specialty paints.

You can pour a self-leveling floor or install polished ceramic tiles, at your own risk. On a cement-sand screed that is thicker than 5 cm, the use of ceramics, carpet, laminate, and parquet boards is strictly prohibited.

For a glazed balcony (cold)

The requirements for the floor and the operating conditions of the floor covering vary in a closed balcony. Here, the mechanical load on the slab (increased by walls and double-glazed windows) is the only remaining internal factor, and the only remaining external factor is frost. Thus, there is a greater selection of flooring:

• tile;
• porcelain tiles;
• terrace board;
• batten;
• moisture-resistant laminate;
• frost-resistant linoleum;
• self-leveling floor.

On a dry expanded clay screed or a balcony slab, tiles and porcelain tiles can be installed directly. All screed types must be discarded when raising the floor level to a height greater than 15 cm. Under these circumstances, joists and a flat slate subfloor (OSB, gypsum fiber board, plywood) are required.

For a balcony with heated floors

The recommendations regarding the type of floor to be laid on the heated balcony are quite confusing. Therefore, the majority of skilled builders think that there are no limitations. Given that ceramic tiles have the best thermal conductivity, some people suggest finishing the floor with them.

Let’s attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the problem. You must consider a number of things in order to do this:

• type of heating;
• floor weight;
• thermal conductivity of materials;
• compatibility of the floor covering with heated floors.

Balconies can be heated in a number of ways, including "warm floors," convectors (which are costly and inefficient), and central heating batteries (which are strictly forbidden). Conversely, you are unable to use "warm floor" water.

In a nutshell, the only ways to heat the balcony are electric or infrared "warm floors."

2. Weight on the floor. Because of the critical weight load on the balcony slab, a wet screed with a minimum thickness of 5 cm is necessary for a cable electric floor. This means that tiles and porcelain stoneware cannot be used.

3. The floor covering’s thermal conductivity. This criterion raises concerns about parquet flooring and long-pile carpet. Their indicators of thermal conductivity are unsuitable for heated screed floors.

4. Adherence to the "warm floor". The self-leveling floor is not compatible with any kind of balcony heating because of its 5–10 mm thickness.

Conclusions. On a glass balcony, the following work with cable "warm floor":

• terrace board;
• floor board;
• laminate;
• linoleum.

The following can be placed on a "warm floor" that has been heated using amorphous metal tape or infrared radiation:

• tiles;
• porcelain tiles;
• terrace board;
• floor board;
• laminated floor;
• linoleum;
• parquet board;
• short pile carpet.

For your balcony, flooring selection is important from an aesthetic and functional standpoint. Depending on your needs and taste in design, each material—durable tiles, soft outdoor carpet, or adaptable composite decking—offers a different set of advantages.

Make sure the surface of your balcony is level, clean, and dry before starting the installation. Efficient planning averts problems later on and guarantees a flawless, long-lasting outcome. Spend time measuring and organizing the arrangement to reduce waste and cuts and produce a tidy, polished look.

Pay close attention to the manufacturer’s instructions when installing. Make sure you use outdoor-grade adhesives or fasteners and leave enough space between items to allow for expansion and contraction caused by changing weather conditions. A professionally installed balcony floor improves use and raises the value of your backyard area.

Maintaining the integrity and beauty of your balcony flooring requires routine care. Regularly sweep up debris, and clean according to the material’s recommendations. In order to avoid moisture infiltration and subsequent, more involved repairs, promptly attend to any damage.

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