ᐅ Insulation and waterproofing of a balcony on a bay window
Created on: 28 Sep 2020 00:23
U
unser_schlossU
unser_schloss28 Sep 2020 00:23Hello everyone,
We have planned a balcony on a bay window. Can anyone tell me how this is usually waterproofed and insulated?
Upstairs, we have a floor structure of 15 cm (6 inches) planned. How thick will the construction on the balcony be? Is 15 cm (6 inches) or less sufficient?
Thank you very much!
We have planned a balcony on a bay window. Can anyone tell me how this is usually waterproofed and insulated?
Upstairs, we have a floor structure of 15 cm (6 inches) planned. How thick will the construction on the balcony be? Is 15 cm (6 inches) or less sufficient?
Thank you very much!
U
unser_schloss29 Sep 2020 00:21Thank you for the response.
Isn’t it standard practice to have a floor construction of 15 cm (6 inches) and then waterproof and insulate the balcony on the bay window at that height?
Or how is a balcony usually built on top of a bay window?
Isn’t it standard practice to have a floor construction of 15 cm (6 inches) and then waterproof and insulate the balcony on the bay window at that height?
Or how is a balcony usually built on top of a bay window?
P
pagoni202029 Sep 2020 07:49I can’t tell you how this is regulated or generally required nowadays. When we built our house in 1990, we had a 15m² (160 sq ft) roof terrace for the upper floor apartment, located directly above the dining room of the ground floor apartment. After construction was completed, we had it installed by a local contractor with an excellent reputation.
He first welded a bituminous membrane or a similar waterproofing layer onto the raw floor, fixed a wooden frame at the edges, and then applied a leveling layer (such as perlite or something similar). On top of this, he installed a so-called “elephants’ house” waterproofing tray, which was raised on the sides and secured with an aluminum profile. The roof terrace was then covered with 4cm (1.5 inch) thick panels laid on pedestal supports.
With the roof terrace, we never had any problems in the upper floor apartment itself or in the apartment below, neither with moisture nor with cold. As far as I recall, the leveling layer was at most 10cm (4 inches) high, more likely a few centimeters less.
But as I said, different guidelines might apply today, so I can only tell you how we did it and that we never had any issues.
He first welded a bituminous membrane or a similar waterproofing layer onto the raw floor, fixed a wooden frame at the edges, and then applied a leveling layer (such as perlite or something similar). On top of this, he installed a so-called “elephants’ house” waterproofing tray, which was raised on the sides and secured with an aluminum profile. The roof terrace was then covered with 4cm (1.5 inch) thick panels laid on pedestal supports.
With the roof terrace, we never had any problems in the upper floor apartment itself or in the apartment below, neither with moisture nor with cold. As far as I recall, the leveling layer was at most 10cm (4 inches) high, more likely a few centimeters less.
But as I said, different guidelines might apply today, so I can only tell you how we did it and that we never had any issues.
Is this a new build? The insulation on the bay window ceiling largely determines the total construction height, depending on the energy saving regulations required. I would always recommend incorporating a slope. There are prefabricated insulation products available that already include a slope. Waterproofing membranes add very little thickness; usually, a waterproofing membrane is applied directly onto the concrete, followed by sloped insulation (~8–16cm (3–6 inches) thick), then the waterproof balcony membrane (various options), then, for example, pedestal supports (at least 1cm (0.4 inches)) and a slab covering (at least 2cm (0.8 inches)).
General guidelines specify a height difference of 15cm (6 inches) from the top of the slab covering to the door threshold. If a smooth, barrier-free transition is desired, a drainage channel should be installed directly at the window to prevent heavy rain or snow from penetrating under the lower door frame.
In new builds, a simple solution is often a step inside or raised door frames at the bottom. Neither is particularly elegant, but both are easier to implement with fewer errors, making them popular with builders. If flush, ground-level exits are desired along with good insulation, the bay window ceiling can be cast with a height offset on the top side during concrete work. This must be carefully planned in advance with respect to the connection heights.
There are also particularly thin vacuum insulation panels with much better insulation performance—but these are significantly more expensive and have other disadvantages.
General guidelines specify a height difference of 15cm (6 inches) from the top of the slab covering to the door threshold. If a smooth, barrier-free transition is desired, a drainage channel should be installed directly at the window to prevent heavy rain or snow from penetrating under the lower door frame.
In new builds, a simple solution is often a step inside or raised door frames at the bottom. Neither is particularly elegant, but both are easier to implement with fewer errors, making them popular with builders. If flush, ground-level exits are desired along with good insulation, the bay window ceiling can be cast with a height offset on the top side during concrete work. This must be carefully planned in advance with respect to the connection heights.
There are also particularly thin vacuum insulation panels with much better insulation performance—but these are significantly more expensive and have other disadvantages.
I am currently facing a similar issue. However, everything is already in place.
I have about 13 cm (5 inches) from the door threshold to the bare concrete. On top of that, I want to install as thick a layer of thermal insulation as possible, followed by the terrace surface.
At the moment, I am planning to lay a 10 cm (4 inch) XPS or PUR board with a slope. The terrace doesn’t get exposed to much moisture, but during heavy thunderstorms it can get wet. Therefore, a waterproofing layer definitely needs to be applied over the XPS boards.
I am still unsure about the rest of the build-up. I wonder whether tiles will hold up over time. Pedestal supports would of course be an alternative.
Another concern is the railing installation. The terrace is framed with Styrofoam retaining blocks. Because of this, the terrace build-up will probably need to be covered with sheet metal.
How would you approach the build-up?
I have about 13 cm (5 inches) from the door threshold to the bare concrete. On top of that, I want to install as thick a layer of thermal insulation as possible, followed by the terrace surface.
At the moment, I am planning to lay a 10 cm (4 inch) XPS or PUR board with a slope. The terrace doesn’t get exposed to much moisture, but during heavy thunderstorms it can get wet. Therefore, a waterproofing layer definitely needs to be applied over the XPS boards.
I am still unsure about the rest of the build-up. I wonder whether tiles will hold up over time. Pedestal supports would of course be an alternative.
Another concern is the railing installation. The terrace is framed with Styrofoam retaining blocks. Because of this, the terrace build-up will probably need to be covered with sheet metal.
How would you approach the build-up?
Similar topics