How to insulate an aluminum profile on a balcony. Insulation of aluminum windows

I bought an apartment in a new building. All loggias in the house have the same type of aluminum frames with single glazing. Tell us how to insulate an aluminum profile on a loggia so as not to disrupt the overall appearance of the facade and get an additional cozy room?

Expert answer:

Changing the architecture of the facade of the building is unacceptable without the appropriate permission from the authorities, therefore, we are not talking about the insulation of the balcony by replacing the existing frame with a PVC structure. The challenge is to install a double or triple glass unit and reduce the thermal conductivity of load-bearing elements made of aluminum.

There are many alternative ways of insulating aluminum profiles, but few of them are truly effective. A small help in solving the problem will be gluing the frame with heat-insulating material, namely, a special energy-saving coating. A film is glued to the glass, which can reduce heat loss in winter by up to 30%, but this cannot be called an achievement of the result.

There are two popular ways to insulate a loggia.

Method number 1

A metal such as aluminum has a high cold conductivity and the only option to change this indicator is to use disconnecting elements made of frost-free material. The profile with plastic breakers becomes wider and allows the installation of a double-glazed unit, like PVC windows or glazing in 2-3 layers. This method will be effective in the southern and temperate latitudes, however, for the northern regions it cannot be called quite effective.

Method number 2

In a harsh winter, the question is: how to insulate an aluminum profile on a loggia? - should be rephrased and asked differently how to change the frame design to prevent cold penetration? The best way is to replace the material of the load-bearing elements with wooden cross-beams, covered from the street side with aluminum plates, similar in width and color to the original ones. Single glass is also replaced by a single or double glass unit.

Video: Panoramic glazing and insulation of the loggia

Currently, most apartments in new modern multi-storey buildings are sold with aluminum cold glazing already installed.

Such facade glazing looks very impressive from the street.but its practicality is questionable. Balconies and loggias with such glazing are in most cases cold and you have a keen desire to insulate or replace the glazing.

If cold glazing cannot be removed

If the structure carries bearing supports or other elements, then it will not be possible to dismantle such a loggia, therefore, you will have to insulate what is already there. There are three options for dealing with this situation:

Replacing glass with double-glazed windows in panoramic glazing

Thermal insulation using "light-thermo" technology... Replacing glass with double-glazed windows, replacing opening AL sashes with PVC windows, insulating vertical aluminum racks with a sandwich panel in a cold facade or panoramic balcony glazing.

One of the currently demanded methods, in which all the opening sash made of aluminum profile are replaced by plastic windows with a glass unit, the glasses are dismantled with the help of industrial climbers and glass units are installed in their place, using special profiles.

The remaining cold aluminum racks and crossbars (horizontal profiles) are insulated from the inside using decorative sandwich panels.

Replacement of facade glazing with insulation of lintels

Thermal insulation using "plast-techno" technology. highly demanded and popular technology insulation of facade glazing without changing the facade of the house... The technology makes it possible to insulate panoramic glazing from the inside of the room. Existing glass and openable aluminum sashes are removed, and plastic frames with blind and open sashes and 2-chamber double-glazed windows 32 or 40 mm thick are built into the remaining aluminum frame.

After that, the aluminum frame inside the room is carefully insulated with 20mm thick foam and white decorative boxes are glued onto these insulated racks.

Photos of our work on this technology:

Aluminum parallel glazing

Thermal insulation using geo-line technology. The technology does not affect the existing façade structure. Parallel to the panoramic glazing, a warm PVC contour is installed. This option provides maximum performance in terms of noise resistance and heat transfer, but is not entirely convenient when cleaning glass between the facade structure and PVC glazing installed close to the aluminum facade structure. This glazing option is the cheapest of all three possible options for facade glazing insulation.
Only you will have to get used to the constant help of specialists who will remove the PVC glazing units with each cleaning of the interframe space (between the aluminum external facade and the PVC structure, which is tightly adjacent to the facade). Otherwise, this is also a very reliable and good solution to your problem of good insulation of the balcony facade.

Stages of work and technology of insulation of cold facade glazing

1. Measurement and approval of the project.

Our specialist comes to you for inspection and measurement, makes an estimate on the spot, coordinates access to the roof with the management company of your house.

Delivery of new windows, double-glazed windows and accessories is carried out in 2-3 weeks. When signing the acceptance certificate, the remaining 30% is paid.

3. Dismantling the glazing.

Installers remove aluminum glazing beads from the inside or climbers (who have technical access to such works) are hung from the outside from the roof of the house and remove the covers of posts and crossbars from the facade glazing outside. Dull glass and aluminum sash are dismantled.

4. Replacement of glass with double-glazed windows in cold facade glazing.

Installation of plastic frames and insulation of cold facade glazing. Thermal bridges made of polyamide are inserted into the posts and crossbars of the facade, creating a thermal break in the aluminum system, which eliminate "cold bridges" and increase the heat transfer coefficient of the structure. Spacers align the facade line, insert energy-saving double-glazed windows into blind window fillings, and install new metal-plastic windows instead of cold sashes.
The junction of the side walls of the balcony and new glazing is insulated with butyl tapes and polyurethane foam. In some cases, insulation with penoplex and penofol requires interfloor floors. Mounting seams are closed with plastic trims or painted metal trims. After these works, it is logical to finish the loggias and balconies.

Our vast experience in the design and installation of translucent structures, coupled with the professionalism of high-rise installers, is a guarantee of warmth and comfort in your home!

In the cold season, the tenants of the apartment face the question: how to insulate their glazed balcony in order to use it, just like in summer, despite the terrible cold outside the windows. The solution to this problem will be step-by-step insulation of all surfaces of the balcony. For a comfortable stay on it in the winter season, it is necessary to correctly consider the choice of materials for thermal insulation. The quality and order of work are equally important in the process of insulation.

Thermal insulation of a balcony with a brick parapet

Insulating material will help to effectively insulate the balcony of their bricks.

Most of the facades of new houses make up a single architectural composition. Violation of its integrity by piling up additional materials for insulation is unacceptable or is associated with multiple bureaucratic coordination delays. The best way to insulate cold-glazed balconies is to use insulating materials from the inside.

A balcony or loggia often has a brick parapet. Installation of aluminum windows with this design takes place directly on the top row of bricks. Insulation of such a room will be effective due to the fact that an insulating material with low thermal conductivity can be laid against the parapet wall.

Insulation of glass

Most of the heat will go through the glass

In the case when plastic double-glazed windows are installed, the window will not require additional insulation. To isolate the leaky joint between the glass and the frame, a special polyurethane sealant is applied to the joints to prevent air penetration.

The greatest heat loss will occur through the glazing.

Floor insulation

Penofol can be used as insulation

An important component in obtaining a warm room is floor insulation. For better thermal insulation, you can use the following materials:

1. Penofol.
2. Electrical floor insulation.
3. Wooden beam.
4. Styrofoam or mineral wool.
5. Polyurethane foam.
6. Floor board.

Foil-clad penofol is laid on the surface of the concrete floor. This material has excellent insulating properties. It will prevent condensation from accumulating in the floor by providing oxygen to prevent moisture and fungus from forming. The next step is to install an electric warm floor.

Warm floor - one of the options for insulating a balcony

The thickness of the log sets the size of the insulation layer. The larger its layer, the better the thermal insulation. When installing, it is necessary to take into account the height from the future floor to the parapet. In the standard version, it ranges from 95 to 105 cm. The safety of a person on the balcony is always in the foreground, so you need to choose the thickness of the log, taking into account the height of the floor construction cake.

Parallel to each other in one plane, wooden blocks are installed with a step of 30-40 cm. Mineral wool or foam is placed between them. All gaps formed during the installation process can be sealed with polyurethane foam. In the winter season, a special polyurethane foam is used, which has the properties of hardening at low air temperatures.

On the laid logs, a floorboard is laid for painting and varnishing. You can use rough wood and then lay some finishing material on it.

Wall and ceiling insulation

The following components can be used for wall insulation:

1. Penofol.
2. Wooden bars.
3. Polyfoam of increased density.
4. Polyurethane foam.

See the video for strengthening the balcony:

Walls requiring insulation are sheathed with penofol. The lathing is usually made from a 50x50 mm bar. For convenience, the step between the bars can be made in accordance with the width of the filler. Styrofoam is placed between the bars and attached to the wall with plastic "fungi". The slots formed during installation are also sealed with polyurethane foam. Eurolining or imitation of a bar can be used as a cladding. Plastic panels are also suitable for wall cladding.

Thermal insulation of panoramic balconies

Panoramic balconies have an excellent appearance and have a number of aesthetic advantages over partially glazed balconies. But the insulation of such a balcony with cold glazing will result in high financial costs. Insulation of the floor, ceiling and walls, except for the facade, can be done in the same way as in the case of parapet balconies, but a glazed wall will require a different method of insulation.

About that, see this video:

The frame of the cold glazing window system consists of an aluminum profile, which has excellent thermal conductivity.

The supply of heat to such a room at a negative air temperature outside will lead to the formation of ice on the glass, and heating will be insignificant due to serious heat losses.

As mentioned above, unauthorized changes to the facade of a residential apartment building can cause a conflict with local authorities and with the rest of the residents of the building.

Installation of an additional glazing contour

When installing an additional glazing contour, the usable space will not decrease much

Installation of the second row of double-glazed windows will not damage the overall appearance of the building. The resulting air chamber will provide heat retention on the balcony or loggia. The disadvantage of this method of insulation will be the inconvenience of washing the glasses inside the chamber. The usable space of the room will be reduced by the indent and the thickness of the inner wall, which can be a significant disadvantage in a limited area.

Energy saving film on glass

There is a special film that is glued directly to the glass. It significantly interferes with good thermal conductivity. With energy-saving film, you can achieve heat savings of 20-30%. The appearance of the windows will not change at all when glued. Also, such a film protects against harmful solar radiation.

Watch this video on how to properly apply energy saving film:

Profile replacement

To insulate the frame of the structure, you can replace the existing aluminum profile with the same analog, but with a special insert made of polyamide. This method is quite expensive, since you will have to completely replace the entire frame of the glazing wall.

Thermal insulation of the balcony, which was originally thought by the designer as a cold room, is a rather costly and laborious task. It is advisable to obtain competent advice from specialists in the field of construction before making a decision on insulation.

In large cities, capitals of regional centers and even in small populated centers built on the basis of a master plan, new buildings are increasingly appearing, and more often whole microdistricts from new multi-storey buildings, balconies and loggias of which have a complex semicircular contour and glazing. The glazing made in the same style and color scheme gives an attractive appearance and relieves owners who have purchased apartments in such houses from the worries of self-glazing balconies.

When designing glazing, architects assume that a balcony (loggia) is not a heated structure. Therefore, the glazing provided by the project is always laid single, capable of protecting the balcony from wind, dust and precipitation, but not from low temperatures. More than 50% of Russians do not want to comprehend the simple truth in any way - a balcony is not a sauna or a greenhouse.

Having received a glazed loggia as a gift from the developer, they are immediately tormented by the question of how the aluminum balcony is insulated.
In this article, we will look at various aspects of this problem.

"Cold" aluminum window profile

Usually, when glazing balconies or loggias, the builder uses a so-called "cold" aluminum window profile with single glazing for glazing. The choice in favor of such glazing is made for economic and technological reasons. This option is the cheapest and does not increase the cost of square meters in a new building. It allows you to easily glaze a semicircular or complex balcony outline.

The design of the aluminum window profile does not provide for the installation of a 2-3-layer glass unit.

Even a 3-chamber double-glazed unit will not reduce heat loss from freezing of aluminum, which has excellent thermal conductivity.

Therefore, the developer, by installing such glazing, warns the owners of the initiative to insulate the balconies, and increase energy costs due to the large consumption of heat used to heat the street.

But restless citizens, in spite of everything, want to have exactly "warm" balconies. The inability to physically insulate the cold aluminum profile of the balcony window makes them look for all sorts of ways and go to various tricks.

The legal aspect of changing the facade of the building

Any changes made to the enclosing structures of the facade of the building (and these include the parapets of balconies), as well as glazing that does not correspond to the general architectural concept, require permission from the local executive authorities.

At the level of each constituent entity of the Federation, relevant regulations have been adopted.

In Moscow, this is the Government Decree of 10/25/2011 No. 508 "On the organization of the reconstruction and (or) redevelopment of residential and non-residential premises in apartment buildings." One of the points of this Resolution provides for the mandatory obtaining of a permit if “- the shape of window and door openings in external enclosing structures changes;).

The procedure for obtaining such a permit consists of five successive stages and the approval of about 40 documents.

The cost of the services of law firms (in Moscow) providing services for coordinating changes in facades for a full package is about 1,000,000 rubles.
There is something to think about.

Warming methods from "craftsmen"

The simplest way they are trying to solve the problem of insulating the cold aluminum profile of a window on a balcony is to paste over its frame with a thermal insulating material - penoizol or penofol. The efficiency of such "insulation" tends to 0. This is understandable. Even using the thickest foam foam of 10 mm, it is impossible to provide sufficient thermal insulation. Such "insulated" aluminum windows lose heat not so much due to freezing of the metal frame, but due to heat loss through a single window glass.

Pasting a single window glass with a high-quality heat-insulating (energy-saving) film can reduce heat loss in winter by up to 30%. But, of course, it cannot completely replace the second or third glazing circuit with the help of a film.
Some craftsmen completely remove the window frames from the aluminum profile, leaving only the crossbars-guides, and in their place they mount PVC-profile windows with double or triple glazing. At the same time, the appearance of the facade of the building immediately suffers. Since the PVC profile is thick and visually very different from the aluminum window profile. Such a replacement is not acceptable if the balcony is semicircular.

Another trick to insulate the balcony is to install a secondary glazing system made of PVC profile with double glazing behind the existing glazing. This significantly reduces the area of \u200b\u200bthe balcony and makes it impossible to clean the window panes between adjacent window units.

All these "partisan" methods of insulating the cold aluminum profile of balcony windows are either ineffective and still do not allow using it in the cold season, or lead to a critical loss of appearance and functionality.

Replacement for "warm" aluminum profile

More radical is the replacement of the existing glazing with a "warm" aluminum profile - a structure with disconnecting elements made of PVC or other plastic with a low thermal conductivity. Thanks to this, the aluminum profile of the window does not freeze, since no cold bridges are formed. “The warm aluminum profile used for balcony windows can have 2nd or 3rd glazing or double-glazed windows like PVC windows.

For southern and middle latitudes, such a replacement can be an excellent way out, since choosing an aluminum profile that matches the width and color is not a particular problem. Outwardly, from the side of the facade of the building, such a window will not stand out from others like it. Perhaps with a different glitter of glass.

But for northern latitudes, even a "warm" aluminum profile is not suitable for insulation. It freezes anyway. If the heating is functioning on the balcony, then ice and icicles form very quickly on the windows and frames.

This is due to the fact that the dew point is shifted towards the balcony and condensation of water vapor and their freezing occurs inside the balcony room.

Low thermal insulation properties of aluminum windows are incorporated in the very design of the manufacturer of the most popular window systems in Russia: Provedal (Provedal Sistemas, Spain).

Wood-aluminum windows

The best option for fully insulating the balcony and making it suitable for use in winter as a warm room is wood-aluminum windows.
They are of two types:

• Aluminum profile with decorative wood trims on the inner (room) side of the window.
• Wooden frames decorated with aluminum strips from the street side.

The first variant of windows is absolutely unacceptable, since in its thermal insulation properties it does not differ in any way from a "cold" aluminum window.

Of interest is the second option - wooden frames, glazed with 2-3 double-glazed windows and having outside, from the street side, aluminum plates that not only give the window a "techno" style, but protect the wood from the effects of precipitation.

In terms of the profile width, such windows will differ from the usual cold profile with single glazing. But on the other hand, you can precisely choose the color of powder enamel, which is usually used to paint aluminum windows outside, and thereby minimize the visual difference between your balcony window and other balcony windows along the facade of the building.