Do-it-yourself insulation of the ceiling on a balcony and loggia: how to insulate it, how to fasten it

There are several effective ways to insulate the ceiling on a balcony. In the simplest case, purchase polystyrene foam and glue it to the prepared surface. You can also assemble a frame from a metal profile and lay a vapor barrier, mineral wool or penoplex. A step-by-step description of each technology and tips for choosing insulation can be found in this article.

Choice of insulation

When you plan to insulate the ceiling on a balcony or loggia, the first question that arises is choosing the appropriate material. For finishing, the following types of insulation are usually used:

• Styrofoam;
• expanded polystyrene with foil coating;
• extruded polystyrene foam – also known as penoplex;
• mineral wool.

Each type has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. You can use any material, but you need to take into account the properties in order to carry out the installation correctly.

Styrofoam

Often the insulation of the ceiling on a loggia is done using polystyrene foam. It is characterized by low density and ease of installation. When choosing a specific type, you need to take into account such characteristics as density. For example, in the case of finishing with decorative panels (MDF, PVC, plasterboard), raw materials with an indicator of 15 kg/m3 are taken. If it is planned putty – a denser material of 25 kg/m3 is needed.

If you insulate the ceiling on the balcony with polystyrene foam, you can take advantage of all its advantages:

• good protection from cold;
• low price - in fact, this is the most budget option;
• light weight - no heavy load on the ceiling;
• simple installation;
• resistance to temperature changes;
• can be installed under the roof, directly on concrete, used as the main or intermediate layer of insulation, if necessary, combined with any other materials.

But you need to keep in mind that polystyrene foam is fragile and not resistant to fire. If these shortcomings are critical, it is worth considering other options than insulating the ceiling on the balcony. It should also be remembered that the material is destroyed by direct contact with sunlight, so external finishing is required in this case.

Foiled polystyrene foam

Based on polystyrene foam, higher quality insulation materials are obtained, for example, foil-coated polystyrene foam. It is denser, so it provides better protection from the cold. If you choose this method of how to insulate the ceiling on a balcony with your own hands, its advantages are obvious:

• strength;
• light weight due to low density;
• good sound insulation;
• resistance to temperature changes;
• moisture resistance;
• resistance to chemicals.

The only significant drawback is the flammability of polystyrene foam. It can also be damaged by rodents and organic solvents such as benzene. However, for a city apartment these factors do not matter.

Penoplex

When considering how to insulate the ceiling on a loggia, it is worth considering extruded polystyrene foam, which is also called penoplex.This is another type of advanced foam that has high strength and greater fire resistance. Its main advantages are as follows:

• does not absorb moisture;
• strong and durable;
• easy to install;
• even a small layer perfectly protects against the cold.

There is no need to doubt whether it is necessary to insulate the ceiling on the loggia. Moreover, Penoplex copes with this task much better than the same foam. This material is more expensive, but the ceiling area is small, so repairs will be inexpensive.

Mineral wool

Insulating the ceiling on a balcony with your own hands can also be done using traditional material – mineral wool. It has its advantages:

• affordable price;
• even a small layer is enough for good thermal insulation;
• noise protection;
• safe chemical composition;
• convenient installation - no need to level the surface in advance.

Although such insulation for the ceiling on the balcony is not without its drawbacks:

• absorbs moisture well and is destroyed (installation of reliable waterproofing is required - then this problem can be solved);
• has a high density, so installation of wooden sheathing is required;
• During installation you need to use a respirator, gloves and a mask.

How to insulate a ceiling

Insulation of a balcony ceiling with penoplex or other materials is carried out in two ways:

1. Fixing on the prepared surface with glue or dowels.
2. Preliminary creation of the frame.

The first method is simpler and is suitable for penoplex, polystyrene foam or foil polystyrene foam. The materials are lightweight, so they do not require additional construction.

The second method is used when laying mineral wool and other dense insulation materials.They are more massive, so for reliable fastening you will need to assemble a frame from a metal profile or wooden slats.

Fixation on the surface

If you plan to insulate the ceiling on the balcony with your own hands using the first method, you will need to stock up on the following tools and materials:

• ladder;
• polyurethane foam with a gun;
• saw;
• perforator;
• dowels;
• ruler, tape measure;
• glue;
• construction level;
• pencil.

The main stages are as follows:

1. Measurements are taken, the surface is prepared, and it is cleaned of dirt.
2. Lay a layer of vapor barrier, for example, isolon with a foil coating (it should face outward).
3. Tape the joints with metallized tape.
4. Cut foam or polystyrene and lay them end to end.
5. Fixed with glue.
6. Next they are reinforced with dowels.
7. Finishing is carried out.

Creating a wireframe

In this case, you will need the same tools, but you will additionally need to stock up on materials to create the frame. This can be a metal profile or wooden slats. The step-by-step instructions are as follows:

1. Prepare the surface and remove dirt.
2. Measurements are taken and markings are made on the ceiling.
3. Dilute the glue and fix foil polyethylene onto it.
4. Next, foam or polystyrene foam is cut and placed in the spaces between the frame posts.
5. Reinforced with dowels.
6. Mount the frame from a profile or wood.
7. The last stage is finishing.

From this review it is clear how to insulate the ceiling on a loggia or balcony. The easiest option is to glue foam sheets. If you protect it well from the sun, the material will last for many years. But a more durable way is to assemble a frame and place, for example, polystyrene foam in it.In both cases, it is imperative to take care of vapor barrier and high-quality finishing.