Main Frequently asked questions How to make a warm floor on the balcony?

Яку теплу підлогу вибрати для балкону?

If earlier the balcony was analogous to a storage room where seasonal household items were stored, now it is increasingly being turned into a lounge area, making a balcony or loggia a charming winter garden, or an office, or a compact gym. If the apartment has two loggias, the question of choice does not even arise, and the living space increases due to additional square meters.

However, there is one significant problem - the room needs to be heated. The best solution is to make a warm floor on the balcony. This task is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance. If you follow all the technological rules and carefully choose a warm floor on the balcony, you can do it yourself.

There are several types of heating systems on the market:

  • heating mats;
  • heating cable;
    • infrared film;water floor.
In which cases will the heating system be the most effective?

Heating mats

Heating mats for the floor – this is a mesh made of fiberglass (fraction size 10x10 mm), to which a high-resistance resistive cable with a diameter of 2-3 mm is attached, laid with a snake. The pitch of the snake is from 50 mm.

Types of heating mats:

  • Single-core;
  • two-core;
    • In the first case, both ends of the cable must be connected to the thermostat. In the second case, an electric cable is hidden in the coupling in parallel with the heating element. As a result, the electromagnetic field is minimized, which is quite noticeable in a single-core sample (although within sanitary standards).

    They are easy to install yourself in a «wet» way. What is its essence?

    The substrate for heating mats is a concrete surface or old tiles. Due to the fact that no additional preparatory work is required, the task of laying the mats is quite simple and budget-friendly.

    First, you need to spread the glue over the entire surface. It takes about 7 days for it to dry completely. Laying insulation material will reduce heat loss.

    Next, the heating mat is cut into separate fragments (do not touch the cable!) and laid on the floor. A thermostat is installed, the system is connected to the mains.

    Granite tiles are laid on the mat for fixing.

    The advantages of this type of system:

    • budget price (single-core is significantly cheaper than two-core);
    • the thickness of the base does not increase;
    • there is little construction waste after installation.
     Disadvantages:

    • High susceptibility to even minor mechanical stress. Therefore, it is not recommended to lay heating mats under furniture;
    • inability to accumulate heat.
    This electric underfloor heating on the balcony acts as an element designed to supplement the amount of heat radiated by the main source. Usually, this is the case when it is impossible to make a cement-sand screed, the system is installed in an old house, there is a time limit.

    Heating cable

    The heating element of this system is a cable heating section, which is based on a two-core shielded cable with a specific heat emission of 18 W/m. It is connected to the heating core on the one hand and to the supply conductor protected by a sleeve on the other. The system, which is capable of providing t=+250+3500, is controlled by electronic thermostats.

    Cable underfloor heating on a cold balcony should be installed only after it has been insulated and modern insulating windows have been installed. Otherwise, heat energy will «warm» the street. If a cement-sand screed with a thickness of 45 mm or more is not made, there is no insulation and waterproofing, the cable system will heat the ceiling of the loggia/balcony from below.

    Couplings are installed in the screed, the location of which should be planned before starting work. Next, the mounting film is laid, and on it - a wave-shaped cable with a bending radius of at least 10 times the cable diameter. The nodes must not intersect! Fixation is carried out with a mounting tape.

    The most effective top layer is tile, characterized by high thermal conductivity. This system is the best of all the variations of underfloor heating on the balcony and under linoleum.

    Multiple heating cables can be connected to one thermostat. It will take at least 3-4 weeks for the screed to dry completely – you need to take this factor into account before starting installation.

    Benefits:

    • a slight electromagnetic field is absolutely safe for humans;
    • high wear resistance of the cable due to the design features (use of low power heating the cores);
    • long service life;
      • ease of installation;
    • high level of fire safety;
    • significant insurance against damage.
    Disadvantages of an electric underfloor heating on the balcony:

    • high requirements for preparation for installation;
    • no technological violations are allowed during installation;
    • long waiting time.
    Infrared film for floor heating on the balconyThe functioning of the infrared floor film     is based on the ability to form long-wave thermal radiation. Its greatest advantage is the accumulation of heat, its secondary return and partial heating of the walls of the balcony/ loggia.

    The infrared system is the so-called carbon strips (film elements) that are soldered between layers of lavsan or polyester. The strips themselves are a carbon paste made of crushed carbon fiber. The material for the conductors is copper or its alloy with silver. The strips are connected to the conductors in parallel. The mains voltage is standard - 220 W.

    When installing an infrared film on the floor, you must follow a clear sequence of actions.

      Perform a screed.
    1. Place the heat-reflective substrate.
    2. Cut the heating elements strictly along the dotted lines.
    3. Lay the IR material on the substrate.
    4. Mount the temperature sensor and thermostat.
    5. Install electrical contacts on the film.
    6. Insulate the network connection points with bitumen.
    When insulating the floor on the balcony with an infrared film it must be borne in mind that a hard finish requires a hard substrate, and a soft one (linoleum, carpet) – vice versa.

    Water floor heating on the balcony

    Installing water floor heating on the balcony is a very attractive idea, but there are a number of significant limitations. One of them is that the room and the loggia should have the same floor level.

    What is a water floor heating on a balcony? These are batteries placed over the entire surface of the floor, through which hot coolant is transported. To enhance the efficiency of this system, a foil with heat-reflective characteristics or high-density foam is usually laid on the waterproofing layer.

    Installing a water floor involves the following steps:

    • to eliminate irregularities, a concrete screed is performed;
    • heat and waterproofing materials are laid;
    • using special mats or brackets, the pipeline is mounted.
    Only seamless metal-plastic pipes can be used. For a balcony of a small area, the ideal option for placing the route is a snake scheme. It is necessary

    • carefully bend the pipes;
    • connect them to the hot water system.
    Before concreting the route with the coolant, you need to conduct testing to make sure there are no leaks.

    Is it possible to make a water floor on the balcony, how much will it be the right decision?

    Given that this system significantly weighs down the floor, it is not recommended to install it on balconies: this can lead to its collapse. Experts recommend installing a water floor only on loggias.

    Due to the variety of «warm floor» systems, it is easy to choose the option that will be optimal in terms of cost, performance and technical capabilities.

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