The floor on the loggia: how is it arranged and what is better to make?

The full use of the premises of the loggia can be hindered by the elementary household disorder of this space. But with the right glazing, insulation and landscaping, it can be turned into a home gym or study, a relaxation area with a coffee table or a dressing room for seasonal storage. The floor on the loggia is the first thing to start with the transformation of this space.

What is the best way to make it? What types of flooring can be installed to provide comfort in use? Examples of a wooden, self-leveling floor will help to understand the problem. Other popular finishes are also worth considering in detail. In this case, the solution to the issue of thermal insulation and creating a comfortable environment on the loggia will be as easy and simple as possible.

The base of the floor on the loggia is originally a concrete slab, which needs additional thermal insulation. Hiding unevenness and preparing the base for laying the flooring will help creating a concrete screed. You can fill it with beacons and self-leveling mixtures. In addition, thermal insulation can also be provided in different ways - from underfloor heating to a special box with foam plates or mineral wool.

The simplest sub-floor is created using a timber frame. A cellular structure is created from it, fixed to the frame of the loggia with the help of anchors. Heat-insulating material is laid inside the formed voids.It could be expanded polystyrene, mineral wool. A finishing floor made of plywood or chipboard is mounted on top of the entire structure. The only drawback of this "pie" is that it takes about 10 cm of the height of the room.

If you want to significantly improve the thermal insulation properties of the floor on the loggia, you can make a rough covering from foam blocks 10 cm thick. On top of it, an additional insulation foam carpet without lags is formed. Next, the installation of a warm floor system or a finishing floor covering is carried out.

Warm floors on the loggia can be made without screed based on heating mats - they are reliably isolated from external influences. Above such a heating source, laminate or other types of coatings can be mounted. However, much more often water or electrical systems are used, mounted on a previously created screed. A special heating circuit is laid here or a film with infrared radiation is used.

It is quite difficult, costly and not very profitable to create a full-fledged water heat-insulated floor on a loggia. Electrical systems, although more expensive to maintain, are much easier to implement. It is worth considering the following points:

• cable cables are mounted in a floor screed with waterproofing and insulation;
• options with heating mats are quite fragile and require a constant connection to the network;
• infrared floors are used for auxiliary heating and are the easiest to install.

Despite the laboriousness of installation, it is cable heaters suitable for constant year-round use that are considered the best option. In this case, the power of the installed system per 1 m2 must be at least 200 W. A suitable cable should have a rating of 22-28 W / m. In addition to him, you still need to take care of connecting the entire system to the thermostat. The connection to the internal electrical network occurs later, when the screed is completely dry.

The flooring on the loggia, whether heated or simply landscaped for seasonal use, is of great importance. Here it is not enough just to lay linoleum or lay tiles on top of finished sheets of plywood, chipboard, covering the rough floating floor. Various finishes allow you to cover the floor beautifully, making it part of the overall space of the apartment or emphasizing the zoning of the room with contrasting decorative techniques. What materials and technologies can be used?

1. Polymers. A frost-resistant self-leveling floor is created by analogy with classic concrete screed options. A special mixture is prepared, and then poured, rolled with a special roller, which prevents the formation of voids. The finished floor can be decorated in almost any style. But its surface turns out to be rather cold and slippery.
2. Wood... Classic parquet flooring for a loggia with its unstable climatic characteristics is definitely not suitable. But the solid board is quite consistent with the idea of ​​a high-quality finish. True, it will not work to combine it with the underfloor heating system - in winter it will be possible to use the room only with additional heating. Paint, varnish or wax-based impregnation can be used as a protective coating.
3. Terrace board. If the wooden floor seems too unreliable, you can choose its version made using high temperature exposure or by pressing a mixture of sawdust and polymer material. The protective properties of such products are much higher, they are not subject to deformation. On the spacious loggia, the terrace board is in good harmony with the design of the recreation area, it is suitable for combination with panoramic glazing, it gives off heat well.
4. Parquet board... The multilayer material is formed from solid wood, but valuable species are placed exclusively on the surface, while at the bottom there is a cheaper coniferous substrate. This floor finish is ideal for loggias that complement the main space of the kitchen or living room. In such a combined interior, the parquet board will help add respectability to new areas of the square. The parquet board, in contrast to the solid wood, allows the installation of water or electric underfloor heating.
5. Laminate... Wear resistant material for a beautiful and modern finish. Laminate flooring usually has a simple one-click installation system that allows for easy installation of decorative fabric on the floor. For a balcony, it is better to choose material of class 32 and higher. The choice of its colors and decor is limited only by the preferences of the residents of the apartment.
6. Porcelain stoneware. A durable material suitable for finishing loggias with kitchen or storage functions. Under the porcelain stoneware, you can lay underfloor heating of any type. It is durable, practical, you can find a variety of options for its decor. If the loggia is combined with the kitchen, porcelain stoneware will help to zoning the functional areas of the area, in addition, it is suitable for non-insulated rooms.
7. Ceramic tiles... A universal option, suitable for both glazed rooms and open balconies. The material is easy to install, practical, hygienic, it can be installed in mosaic, staggered, with longitudinal or transverse laying. Ceramics have high thermal conductivity, it goes well with warm floors, but on an unheated loggia, such a coating may seem too cold. When choosing, it is worth making sure that the material is characterized by low water absorption, adapted for use in low temperature conditions.
8. Linoleum. The most budgetary option for finishing the floor in the interior of the loggia. Roll material based on PVC is cheap, easy to install, you can choose any decorative solution for it. Natural linoleum is much more expensive, it makes sense to buy it if the floor in the adjoining rooms will have a similar finish. For warm floors, only a multi-layer heterogeneous type of linoleum is suitable.
9. Carpet... This material makes it easy to give the room of the loggia carefree, turns it into a relaxation zone. If you plan to allocate a room for rest or work, such coverage will be a really good choice.

Warm floors that provide heating in the loggia room are used exclusively in a glazed room. Here, an infrared type of heating can be used, using secondary heat transfer, or direct heat sources: mats, cables, pipes through which the coolant circulates.

Electric underfloor heating is connected to a common system, equipped with individual switches and thermostats. Systems based on mats, installed without screed, are rather fragile and require careful installation. Cables are mounted inside a concrete base, they are considered more resistant to operational loads. It is worth paying attention to the fact that it is not recommended to install furniture on the surface where heating elements are located. You will have to design the situation in advance, and it will be difficult to change it later.

When choosing finishes for the floor on the loggia, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• design features and layout of the premises;
• degree of thermal insulation;
• the presence and type of glazing used;
• desired temperature range.

In open-type loggias without a warm floor, it is recommended to use materials that are resistant to thermal expansion and can easily endure frost. It is worth paying attention to the fact that only natural minerals belong to this category of materials - granite, marble, basalt, ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware.

Among interesting examples of flooring on the loggia you can note options that can decorate the interior of a residential apartment.

• Bright and spacious balcony with ceramic tiles on the floor. Tiles with colorful patterns in rich shades create a special mood in the interior.

• Porcelain stoneware in the interior of the loggia looks modern and laconic. The dark color and large format of the coating allows you to create an expressive frame for the chosen room decor.

• Terrace board in the design of an open loggia. The material looks interesting and respectable thanks to the parquet laying, harmoniously fitting into the overall design solution.

See below for floor insulation on the loggia.