A loggia or balcony is that part of the apartment that many Russians are used to seeing only as a warehouse of boxes and pickles. Few people imagine what these two meters can be turned into. The loggia can become an excellent independent room, summer kitchen or resting place, the main thing is just to try a little.
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Loggia and balcony: what's the difference?
Of course, you cannot talk about the arrangement of any room without knowing what it is. For example, many people call the loggia just a balcony. Of course, at first glance, these two designs are very similar - but if you delve deeper, it becomes clear that the differences are significant. The ability to distinguish a loggia from a balcony will help not only to properly equip the nook, but also to avoid mistakes when buying an apartment.
Loggia - from the Italian "loggia", premises. And the balcony is from the German "balko", a ledge. Even the translation of the definitions gives some idea of the differences.
Balcony is a curtain wall structure with a guardrail protruding from the wall. It protrudes from the wall as a so-called beam, hangs above the ground, held by special fasteners.
The loggia is located indoors. This is, in fact, the same room, only on the fourth wall, it most often has a row of windows. Thus, it can be understood that the first difference is the abutment to the wall.
Second, the balcony has three open sides facing the street. They are secured with metal barriers. The room by the balcony is bordered by one wall.
At the loggia, everything is exactly the opposite - one side to the street, the other three - into the house. At the corner loggias, two parts are located on the street.
Since the balcony is a hinged structure, it has some restrictions on its bearing capacity. Roughly speaking, it is extremely inconvenient to carry out repair work on the balcony. In contrast to the loggia. The loggia can be insulated, decorated or installed there any furniture - this room will withstand everything. Equipping a loggia with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.
Of course, dimensions cannot be ignored. A balcony is a compact room, clearly limited in size. The area of the loggia can be changed at your discretion, supplemented - like any room.
We can safely say that the main feature of the loggia lies in its differences from the balcony. It can also be glazed or not.
Arrangement
When arranging a loggia, you should clean it of all things and debris. After cleaning, the glazing procedure is traditionally carried out. In order to correctly conduct it, you need to understand how and at what time of the year the premises will be used.
Glazing
The first thing you should pay attention to when arranging a loggia is a closed or open type. The first type includes glazed loggias, and they, in turn, are subdivided into several more:
Warm glazing means complete protection from all natural disasters - winds, cold weather, as well as noise and street dirt. It is performed, most often, with plastic windows. The huge advantages of warm glazing, of course, include thermal insulation and tightness. Plastic windows are a hot commodity on the market, so it is quite possible to find the desired shape and shade. However, there were some drawbacks here. The frames made of PVC and double-glazed windows are heavy, so they can only be used on proven slabs. The frame is very wide, which prevents light from entering - slightly, but nonetheless. And the swing-out flap mechanism can visually reduce and clutter up the room.
Cold glazing is the insulation of all parts of the loggia so that it can be used only in the warm season. Such glazing will not save you from the winter cold and, in principle, strong winds, since it has insufficient heat and sound insulation. As a rule, it is carried out with aluminum frames. Aluminum structures are easy to install on your own, they are lightweight and do not add "weight" to the windows. The aluminum is paintable and the frames are sold in a variety of colors.
Aluminum frames are environmentally friendly and durable - 3 times stronger than wood, 7 times stronger than plastic.
Separately, it is worth considering such an issue as changing cold glazing to warm one. Many are worried about whether this procedure can be carried out without harm to the plates. Yes, it’s quite possible. The main difficulty here is the removal of old double-glazed windows. Experienced users can try to do this on their own, however, it is strongly recommended to call the wizard or at least consult with him.
We must not forget about such a moment as semi-warm glazing. This is, in fact, a slightly simplified version of warm glazing - only the sashes here have a sliding mechanism, that is, the tightness and thermal insulation are slightly lower. It is made of the same PVC frames, only with sliding doors. It is much lighter than warm, and the load on the plates in its case is minimal. Thanks to semi-warm glazing, it is possible to solve the problem of the massiveness of the windows and the load on the brackets. It is ideal for homes or apartments with weak balcony slabs.
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Waterproofing
The next step is waterproofing. In other words - protection of load-bearing structures and building materials from the harmful effects of water. Indeed, during the rain, moisture can easily get into the most distant corner of the balcony. This problem is especially relevant for owners of loggias on the upper floors
- It is possible to independently waterproof the loggia only from the inside; for external processing, you should contact a specialist at least for your own safety. The process of waterproofing itself is that the mastic creates a protective layer, and thanks to the sealant, the damaged parts of the concrete are restored.
- Lubricants require a screed on top, and penetrating compounds are considered the most reliable and restore strength up to 20%. But they are used only for concrete. But pasting materials made of polymers and non-polymers are unpopular, although they are also reliable - they just have a lot more fuss with them than with other compounds.
- Floor waterproofing is a separate issue. The first step is to make a concrete screed. This can be done in three ways - depending on the seams.
- Compensation method, or temperature. It takes place when laying the pressure layer.
- Forced seams divide the screed into even parts.
- The wall layer is located at the place where the balcony wall adjoins the facade.
- After the seams, it is necessary to fill with a sealing mastic with an elastic cord. Lay the foam sheets on top.
A primer is applied to the screed to remove dust. You can pay attention to the Primer WB.
The waterproofing should also touch the wall - but literally up to 200 mm. For this, foil polystyrene foam is suitable, which is glued to the wall with a canvas. In the case of walls, it is worth applying two layers of mastic, and sealing the joints between the sheets. Next is a decorative coating, for example, coarse-relief or low-relief plaster.
Warming
The final stage of arranging the loggia is its insulation. Most often, all parts of the room are insulated - walls, ceiling and floor. As well as the previous two stages, it is quite possible to do this with your own hands. You just need to decide on the material
- Styrofoam. It is produced in the form of plates with a thickness of 2 to 10 cm. It has a low price and high popularity.
- Penofol. It is used in combination with penoplex. The material of the latest generation, consists of polyethylene foam and aluminum foil.
- Penoplex. Much more expensive than its higher counterparts - but also different in quality. It is produced in sheets of 2, 3, 5 and 6 cm. Lightweight and not capricious to work with, has good thermal insulation properties. When working with it, a flat, clean surface is required - it is screwed to it with the help of special screws.
- Mineral wool. It resembles ordinary medical cotton wool. Possesses heat-insulating and moisture-repellent properties. Unlike penoplex, it is capricious in work, prickly, but can penetrate into the farthest corner. Available in rolls and sheets.
- Expanded clay. This is the easiest way. It is lightweight and durable, cheap, not capricious in installation - it just falls asleep on the floor surface.
As for the insulation of the ceiling, the same materials are suitable here as for the floor - with the exception of expanded clay. As in the case of walls and floors, the ceiling must be checked for cracks and holes before insulation - if available, they must be sealed with polyurethane foam. Otherwise, mold or mildew may form.
But the walls of the loggia are recommended to be insulated with penoplex. First of all, you should pay attention to the walls bordering the street. The heat insulator is attached with dowels. Above - a film as a waterproofing, after - a plaster mesh. Now you can tackle the plaster. If we are talking about working at height, then it will be safer to call specialists.
If possible, we recommend installing a heating system - for example, an underfloor heating system. This innovation will help turn the loggia into a real sleeping place - even in winter, the cold will not be terrible here.
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Finishing
After a complete arrangement, you can think about the interior decoration of the room. As a rule, the material for it is chosen based on the personal preferences of everyone, the price, but you should not forget about the practical side of the issue.
Floor. An excellent option for finishing the floor would be laminate, carpet or tiles. If desired, you can sketch carpets on top - for comfort, warmth in the first place. Although, again, if there is a system of underfloor heating, additional floor finishing is not required.
Ceiling. Most often it is sheathed with clapboard (if suspended) or drywall, or simply whitewashed.
Walls. Plastic panels will be an excellent option for interior wall decoration, but also do not forget about wood or PVC lining. But vinyl siding is suitable for those who want to save money.
When all the individual work and work on the arrangement of the loggia is completed, you can think about filling this area with furniture and decorative accessories.
