7 Tips for Those Who Want to Do Balcony Renovation by Themselves

Due to the small area of a balcony, it's sometimes easy to make a wrong decision - to do renovation here last. Only later do you realize that it's already impossible to do it for a variety of reasons. How to get several comfortable square meters in an apartment at the expense of the balcony and deal with problems on your own - Timur Abdrahmanov, co-founder of the renovation service 'Kvadrim', tells.

Timur Abdrahmanov, expert at 'Kvadrim' - a team of designers, builders, engineers and managers. In 2.5 months they do a designer renovation in one of the pre-developed styles at a fixed price.
Perfect time for renovation

Balcony renovation inevitably affects other rooms in the apartment, because:

• you need to store building materials somewhere;

• there will be as much dust, waste and dirt as from renovation of any other room;

• you need power sources to connect the balcony's electrical network.

To minimize inconvenience, start balcony renovation at the same time as other rooms.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
How will you use the balcony?

Before starting renovation on a balcony, find out for what purpose you need additional space in the apartment. This will help determine materials, scope of work and financial costs.

Planning to set up a spacious storage room? Great idea! In this case, you can save on thermal insulation of the room. The optimal solution is cold glazing of the balcony and wall insulation with polystyrene.

Need a workspace? Think about better amenities.

Planning to use the balcony as a dining room? Combine it with the kitchen! But remember: you'll need a reconfiguration.

Want to make a winter garden or flower bed? Well, that's a quite obvious solution, as there is the most daylight on the balcony. Just don't forget that for heat-loving plants you need not only good insulation but also heating of the room.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
Which works to leave to professionals?

Let's consider a typical balcony renovation - with insulation. If the house has been in use for several years, external landscaping of the balcony may be needed. The most popular, inexpensive and practical material for wall cladding is siding. Additionally, you can insulate the outer side of the balcony with polystyrene or mineral wool.

Glazing comes in two types: cold or warm. The first option is suitable for setting up auxiliary rooms like a storage room or summer room. Warm glazing is used when creating functional spaces, when the balcony is combined with a living room or used as a fully functional space in winter and summer.

You can handle these works on your own if you have sufficient experience, free time and all the necessary tools.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
How to best insulate the floor?

You can insulate the balcony floor using various materials and technologies. The simplest option: make a wooden frame, lay polystyrene plates in the grooves, and cover the whole structure with a sheet of MDF or particle board. You can also make a screed from keramzit concrete (a mixture of cement solution and keramzit).

A modern way to insulate the floor is a warm electric floor. Use heating mats or cables to avoid cluttering free space with radiators. As a top floor covering, laminate, carpet, linoleum or wooden planks can be used.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Popular Floor Insulators
Polystyrene (Styrofoam)

Advantages: lightweight, inexpensive material. Easy to process - can be cut with a utility knife. Good heat retention.

Disadvantages: vapor permeable, so you will have to ventilate the balcony to remove excess moisture. Very loved by rodents. Easily ignites.

Mineral / Basalt Wool and Boards

Advantages: low thermal conductivity - retains heat in the room well. Maintains geometry under significant loads. Excellent sound insulator. Moisture resistance and vapor permeability - the material does not disrupt the microclimate in the room.

Disadvantages: compared to polystyrene, mineral insulators are relatively expensive.
Cement screeds with filler from keramzite or polystyrene

Advantages: price, good thermal insulation, low weight (compared to sand-cement screeds).

Disadvantages: labor-intensive, special tools required for mixing solutions.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
Advantages and Disadvantages of Popular Floor Coverings
Linoleum

Advantages: budget option, high durability and longevity. Highly water-resistant. Easy installation on the floor.

Disadvantages: coating is sensitive to low temperatures. Does not hide surface unevenness.

May develop mold in high humidity.
Laminate

Advantages: high durability and wear resistance, easy installation, reasonable price.

Disadvantages: afraid of moisture, high requirements for surface flatness for installation.

Wooden Planks, Parquet

Advantages: ecological. The material maintains a natural microclimate due to hygroscopicity - absorbs and releases moisture. Visually appealing.

Disadvantages: afraid of moisture, requires serious care during operation, expensive.

Carpet

Advantages: warm covering, creates an attractive appearance, easy to install.

Disadvantages: requires constant and quite laborious maintenance, expensive.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
What is most important in electrical installation?

Plan in advance the location of outlets, switches, lights and bring cables to these spots. For protection from external damage, it's better to hide the wiring in cable channels.

Important: installing additional outlets and switches does not require approval from regulatory bodies and is not reflected in the technical passport. However, during electrical installation work, you must follow regulatory requirements. For example, it is not allowed to make grooves for electrical wiring in floor slabs and internal wall panels.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
How to insulate the walls?

To insulate the balcony walls from inside, mineral-based insulators (mineral wool, basalt panels), polystyrene boards are used. Technically, wall insulation is done in the following way: installation of guides, mounting of insulator (fixation using adhesive and expansion bolts). Then a frame is set up for mounting finishing materials: MDF boards, plastic panels, wooden panels.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
Pros and Cons of Popular Materials for Interior Wall Finishing
MDF Panels

Advantages: easy installation, low cost, decent thermal and sound insulation properties, attractive appearance.

Disadvantages: low resistance to moisture and negative temperatures, fades in sunlight.

Plastic Panels

Advantages: fast and easy installation, high moisture resistance, wide selection of colors and textures.

Disadvantages: brittle, does not allow vapor to pass through, fades in sunlight.

Wooden Panels

Advantages: ecological material, breathable, visually appealing appearance, easy to process and install.

Disadvantages: not resistant to moisture and temperature fluctuations. Expensive. Flammable material.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'
How to Insulate the Ceiling?

Following the same principle as walls, the ceiling is also insulated. Polystyrene panels, foil, mineral wool and similar mounting techniques are used.

A popular option for ceiling installation is mounting wooden planks edge-down, followed by filling the gaps between them with insulating material. Then the structure is covered with a waterproof material and the finish is mounted on top. After completing these works, your balcony is ready for decorative finishing. What appearance the new space will take depends entirely on your effort.

Design: 'Studio 3.14'

More tips:

- Bedroom Renovation: 6 Tips for Those Who Want to Do It Properly

- 8 Tips for Those Who Want to Renovate the Foyer by Themselves

- 7 Useful Tips for Those Who Want to Do Kitchen Renovation by Themselves