Floor on the Balcony with Your Own Hands

Therefore, many people not only want to insulate this small, external area but also to decorate it beautifully and install a high-quality floor on the balcony by themselves.

How to Choose the Right Material

When selecting flooring, pay close attention to the base: a simple concrete slab with uneven surface; a flat but inclined surface; existing linoleum or PVC tiles; or a finished screed.

The flooring material must meet minimum commercial floor standards, as balconies experience rapid temperature changes with a wide amplitude and higher humidity. With heated glazing and heating, floor requirements are similar to those for regular living rooms.

For open balconies, ceramic tiles or treated wooden decking are preferable, treated with special agents to prevent swelling from moisture and resist decay. Cold glazing calls for laminate class 32 and above, wooden boards, painted plywood, or commercial linoleum.

Main Types of Floor for Balcony

Wooden Flooring

Typically installed on balconies, not loggias, it is lightweight and does not require a screed, minimizing load on the slab with secure anchoring. The process is as follows:

Leveling the floor with a thin screed (2–5 mm). Only surface irregularities on the concrete slab are smoothed; no finishing is needed.

Cleaning the surface, laying a waterproofing membrane, or applying waterproofing mastic. Ensure it extends 10–15 cm up the walls, secured with construction tape.

Laying joists on the membrane and fastening them firmly with anchors, screw anchors, or self-tapping screws. Spacing should not exceed 80–100 cm for parquet, laminate, or vinyl tiles, and not more than 1.5 meters for wooden decking. Perimeter joists must be the same size.

Placing insulation boards between joists, cut precisely to size. The board must fit tightly into the subfloor cavity, fully contacting the joists with a straight, perpendicular edge.

Installing a subfloor for any material except decking. This may be sawn or unsawn boards, 20 mm thick, not necessarily tightly joined—allowing for air circulation is beneficial. For wooden decking, a subfloor is not needed, but boards must be sawn, planed, and at least 30 mm thick.

Any flooring can now be installed on the prepared subfloor.

Ceramic Tiles, Porcelain

This durable flooring is strong, easy to maintain, and resistant to temperature fluctuations. Moreover, ceramic tiles offer excellent decorative qualities, are available in a vast range on the market, and can be matched to any existing interior in pattern and color. However, installation is complex and requires experience.

First, a leveling screed must be installed. Second, without a screed, final surface leveling is possible but depends on variable adhesive or mortar thickness. Such work should only be done by professionals; for DIY, a pre-leveled screed is essential.

Installation steps:

Remove old covering and clean the base.

Lay a waterproofing layer or apply mastic-based waterproofing.

Optional: install mineral insulation boards. A thick screed (5 cm or more) can naturally retain heat.

Form the screed over the base (using guides, a builder’s level, and a straightedge).

After full curing, lay the tiles.

After adhesive or mortar drying, grout the tile joints.

Linoleum, PVC Tiles

Any method can be used: a framework with insulation and subfloor (though in this case, the base must be solid: plywood, MDF, etc.) or a cement (concrete) screed. After base preparation, lay linoleum or install PVC tiles according to the specific material’s installation rules. Note the material’s ambient temperature.

Prepare the base carefully! Use modern materials and professional tools! Only by strictly following all rules and procedures will you achieve not only a beautiful but also strong, long-lasting, and practical floor on your balcony.