You can remove the threshold of the balcony door. Threshold on the balcony: made of plastic and ceramic slabs How to make a threshold on the balcony

After installing the frame and door with access to the balcony, it becomes necessary to make a threshold for the balcony door. At first glance, it seems that it is simple to do. Indeed, for those who know, this is not difficult. But for someone who is going to do it on their own and for the first time, it will not be easy. However, if you follow the advice of experienced builders on how to make a threshold for a balcony, you can easily cope with this task.

Advantages of balcony thresholds

Balcony thresholds have several advantages and useful functions.

Firstly, the aesthetic appearance of the balcony door becomes better. This way there is a smooth transition from the floor of the room to the lower lintel of the door to the balcony.

Secondly, in addition to the polyurethane foam on which the door is installed, the threshold performs additional protective function against cold ingress through foam (and this happens). This is especially important when the balcony itself does not have an installed balcony frame and is not glazed. Such balconies do not have protection from external factors of moisture and dampness. If after rain water ends up on the balcony, then, without a threshold, a large percentage of humidity will end up through micro-cracks in the room.

Thirdly, the heat of the room will not be lost through such cold bridges as foaming areas.

Fourthly, there is less chance of tripping over the high threshold for the balcony door.

What can a threshold be made from?

How to make a threshold on the balcony with your own hands? What materials are needed for this? The threshold can be made from:

• sand-lime brick;
• cement-sand mortar and tiles;
• plastic;
• tree.

In this article we will look at each option step by step.

Brick threshold

This threshold is usually made when the floor level is significantly lower than the frame of the door block to the balcony. The thickness of the brick will help eliminate this discrepancy and save on cement-sand mortar.

What will be needed for such work? For the work you will need the following materials:

• bricks (preferably silicate);
• cement;
• sand;
• drill;
• mixer;
• perforated corner;
• metal beacon;
• hammer;
• roulette;
• putty knife.

Practical advice for carrying out work:

First you need to prepare the base, the place where the threshold will be mounted. To do this, you need to remove dirt and dust from the floor. You can clean the surface with an old spatula. Further, priming process. This is necessary for final dust removal of the surface and improvement of adhesion. It is better to do this with a primer that leaves a rough finish after drying. This enhances the adhesion of bricks to the floor surface and floor slab. Since there are many primer manufacturers, their names may vary. Therefore, in a hardware store you can ask the seller about the option that suits you.

Then you need to prepare a solution of cement and sand. Proportion: one to three. One measure of cement to three measures of sand. To make the solution set quickly, you need to add a little gypsum mixture (satengypsum or isogypsum) to it. To mix, use a mixer mounted on a drill.

The mortar is laid evenly on the floor with a spatula, and bricks are placed on the mortar. Need to do not forget to apply the mortar to the sides of the bricks so that they are also fastened to each other, and not just to the floor. Due to the reversal of the door slopes, you may have to cut the outer bricks with a hammer to knock down the corner. Then they will be able to normally occupy the threshold area.

You should try to align the bricks so that they are about three centimeters below the level with the outer wall. If the threshold is planned to be tiled, and at the end too, then at least 4 cm.

You need to place a perforated corner at the corner of the bricks, and a beacon at the door. “Freeze” them with the same solution. After a few minutes, the solution will set and can be poured onto the brick, leveling it as you go. Use a spatula to level the surface, trying to make it as even as possible. A corner and a beacon should help with this. Do the same from the end. It is important to ensure that there are no voids left.

After leveling and drying, the threshold is ready for cladding. The material for this can be tiles, laminate or linoleum.

An option on how to decorate a threshold on a balcony with linoleum is shown in this video.

Threshold made of cement-sand mortar

If the balcony doors are not installed high enough to make the threshold out of bricks and then fill it with mortar, there is a way to make it only from cement mortar. To do this, you will need formwork made of a 2 cm thick board, pressed against the plane of the wall, in the line of which the threshold should extend.

For work you will need:

• broken brick;
• board 20 mm thick, length - from 120 cm to 150 cm (formwork);
• gypsum mixture (satengypsum, isogypsum);
• hammer;
• roulette;
• putty knife;
• poluter.

Installing a threshold made of cement mortar using formwork follows the same sequence:

1. preparation of the base, cleaning;
2. padding;
3. installation of formwork;
4. mixing cement-sand mortar with the addition of gypsum mixture;
5. broken brick is poured into the place where the mortar is poured, which, together with the cement-sand mixture, will be something like concrete;
6. pouring the solution;
7. leveling the mortar with a spatula and polisher.

It is necessary to level the cement mortar because it is the finish. After it dries, the surface will be ready for covering. As a result, you may end up with a threshold on the balcony made of tiles, laminate or covered with linoleum. Before laying the laminate, both in this case and in the case of a brick threshold, you must remember to lay the underlay. It will prevent the transfer of cold from the cement/brick floor to the laminate.

Threshold on the balcony photo

In this section you can look at a few more photos on the topic of our article about what and how you can make a threshold on the balcony with your own hands.

Some people believe that it is not necessary to install a threshold on the balcony, especially if the balcony has glazing. However, this design is necessary in any case, since it performs several functions:

• Improving the overall appearance of the room, the ability to create a smooth transition from the living room to the loggia or balcony, which is especially important with large differences in height.
• Protection against heat loss, drafts, and dust accumulating under the door.
• The ability to hide joints, especially if they are not made carefully, or a layer of polyurethane foam under the door frame.

Types of balcony thresholds

Before you start creating and finishing the threshold for the balcony, you need to choose what it will be made of. The following types of design exist:

• Plastic. This is one of the most inexpensive options; such a threshold is not afraid of moisture, is resistant to mechanical stress, and is quite durable. The best option for installation is a PVC window sill, which can be installed ready-made: you just need to select the product to size or cut it.
• Cement-concrete. This is a more reliable and durable option, but its installation is more complicated, and it is advisable to finish the outside to give it a more aesthetic appearance. The covering can be made of tiles, laminate, linoleum, and other materials.
• Brick. It is quite difficult to lay out such a threshold; you need to calculate the dimensions and carefully level it. The finished structure can be finished with any materials, from wood to tiles.
• Wooden. The product is lightweight, easy to install, attractive in appearance, but it is resistant to moisture and pests. This balcony door threshold has a shorter service life than its analogues.

Work options

Once you have decided what can be made from, you can understand exactly how to arrange and finish the structure. Creating a threshold for a balcony with your own hands is possible in the following ways:

• If there is too much empty space under the doorway or the opening itself is deformed and severely damaged, it is better to lay out the structure
• To create it, you can use a cement-sand mixture, which is used to fill the structure. This option is optimal if you need to raise the level, but the space between the floor and the frame is less than the thickness of the brick.

What can a threshold be made from?

Regardless of how the work is carried out, it is necessary to prepare the opening and the floor surface: they need to be cleaned of dirt and debris, thoroughly wiped inside and out. Finishing is done on both sides; the outer one must be cleaned and dried, especially if you have to work with mortar. In addition to selecting materials, you need to do the following:

• Select the shape of the structure. The step can be rectangular or rounded, have a smooth transition to the floor surface or a sharp drop
• Select tools and materials for work; tools may be different, it depends on the design and method of finishing.
• Inspect the opening and eliminate major defects if necessary.

Brick threshold

For this design, it is better to use sand-lime brick: it is resistant to moisture, withstands temperature fluctuations and has a long service life. The process of installing a balcony threshold will be as follows:

• Floor preparation, leveling, cleaning and degreasing, applying putty. After this, the surface should be rough.
• After this, you can lay the brick: before this you need to prepare a solution of cement with sand (proportion 1:3) and water; to improve adhesion, you can add gypsum. It is very important to immediately begin installation after creating the mixture, since the cement hardens very quickly.
• A thin layer of mortar is laid on the floor, then the first row of bricks. It is necessary to leave a small space at the ends.
• A cement mixture is applied to the bricks; the solution should not be too thick, 3-5 mm is enough. Then you can lay the next layer of bricks. If the threshold is made of one row, you can immediately apply putty to the material, and then begin installing the finishing coating.
• Most often, such a structure is finished with tiles. The putty layer must be treated with a primer and the material must be laid.

Threshold made of cement-sand mortar

If there is a small gap between the frame and the floor, you can make a threshold from cement mortar. To do this, you will need to prepare the cement itself, sand, water, putty, a mixing container, lumber for formwork, as well as tools in the form of a trowel and spatula. Sequencing:

1. Preparation and surface treatment with putty.
2. After this, you need to build formwork from wood, for which timber or boards up to 20 mm thick are suitable. You can place ceramic tiles or broken bricks on the side to make the structure more stable. The height and width of the formwork is made with a margin of 3-5 mm from the size.
3. Then you need to mix cement and sand in a ratio of 1 to 3 parts, add water. The composition should be homogeneous, without inclusions of dry mixture, and quite thick. You can mix it either manually or using a construction mixer.
4. Then the solution is poured into the formwork. It must be leveled so that the surface is smooth and has no protrusions or other defects. It takes 24 to 48 hours to harden, the exact time depends on indoor and outdoor temperatures, as well as humidity levels.
5. After hardening, the formwork part of the structure is dismantled, the finished threshold can be painted or other finishing and construction materials can be used for cladding.

Threshold made of plastic and laminate

Often a plastic window sill is used for installation; during installation, a support made of wooden beams, pre-treated with an antiseptic, is installed under the step, and the gaps are sealed using polyurethane foam. In addition, plastic panels can be used to finish a concrete threshold: they are secured using self-tapping screws and construction adhesive. This design is distinguished by its attractive appearance and durability; if the balcony threshold is made of a window sill with a timber support, its strength will be lower, but the installation process will take less time.

As an alternative, a laminate-covered element can be installed. It is used as a finishing material, can be mounted with glue, liquid nails, using special fasteners, allows you to design it with a smooth transition to the floor. For corner finishing, plinth is used.

How can you make a threshold for a balcony from laminate?

If the plastic threshold does not match the style of the room, you can make a threshold from laminate: the entrance to the balcony will look neat and aesthetically pleasing. For installation, you will need to clean the surface of the step, then cut the strip to the size of the threshold. Liquid nails or another adhesive composition is applied to its reverse part, then the product is pressed against the working surface. The finished balcony threshold can be equipped with an anti-slip strip.

Threshold made of wood and OSB

The threshold for a balcony door can be made from an OSB board on a wooden frame. This design better protects the room from heat loss and drafts, but wooden parts must be treated against mold and mildew. Sequence of work:

• Installation of a timber frame. The elements can be fastened with self-tapping screws; the ends must be filed with a handsaw or jigsaw if the product needs to be connected at an angle.
• Laying the frame, drilling holes for mounting dowels.
• Fastening the sheathing, installing the OSB board.
• Insulation with cotton wool or polystyrene foam.
• The finished threshold for a balcony can be finished by laying a covering made of laminate, cork or other material.

Subsequent finishing

After installing the balcony threshold, you need to decide how to finish it. In some cases, this is not necessary: ​​for example, a plastic product made from a PVC window sill does not require additional processing. To finish the threshold of a balcony door made of cement, brick or wood, the following materials can be used:

• Cork covering;
• Laminate;
• Floor tiles, mosaics;
• Plastic panels;
• Linoleum.

How to remove the threshold?

In some cases, owners decide to make the balcony a residential part of the apartment, and when this is necessary, they have to get rid of the threshold. If such repairs are planned in a panel house, changes must be approved by the housing inspection. Before dismantling, you need to remove the doors, disassemble the frame, and then get to work. It is easiest to remove a plastic or wooden threshold; it is not advisable to disassemble a structure made of cement or brick yourself; it is better to entrust the work to specialists.

To create a level floor, you can raise it; this is especially true if you plan to install an infrared heating system. To do this, a screed is made, the surface is leveled, and then the finishing material is laid. You can do the work yourself or order it from a construction company.

Technologically, there is a threshold under the balcony door at the exit to the balcony in all civilian houses. The question arises, why? It’s unlikely that the answer will be given, because that’s how it’s laid out in the projects. What role does the threshold of a balcony door play and what can its dismantling lead to? We will answer how to remove the threshold of a balcony door in this article.

Balcony door threshold

It seems quite a reasonable idea to remove the threshold of the balcony door when combining a kitchen, room and balcony or arranging a balcony as a functional room in an apartment. But you shouldn’t get excited and demolish the threshold on the advice of friends; if the threshold was made, does that mean it is needed for some reason?

Standard balcony threshold

Why do you need a threshold under the balcony door?

It all depends on the type of your house, or more precisely on the type of your balcony.

Note: We must understand that in houses there are balconies and loggias that are different from them.

A loggia, unlike a balcony, is a structure of a house, and the floor of the loggia is an external or built-in part of the ceiling. A balcony is a separate cantilever structure that is connected to the structure of the house and is subject to bending load.

• Rice. (c) and (d) we see that the balcony slab is external, but is supported from below.
• In Fig. (b) we see that the balcony slab is a continuation of the floor slab.
• In Fig. (a), we see that the balcony slab is remote and is supported only by the upper outer slab of the house on the next floor.

Very often, when performing repair and finishing work in premises with loggias or balconies, when replacing old doors or installing new doors, it becomes necessary to remodel or dismantle the threshold to the balcony, as well as new design. Ideally, there should be no threshold at all when moving from one room to another. However, sometimes it is impossible to do without such a design if the door leaf, together with the door frame, performs the functions of a heat-protective membrane when there is a significant difference in operating temperatures in adjacent rooms. Or the levels of the so-called clean floor in the room and on the loggia or balcony do not match. In this case, the threshold to the balcony will become a permanent part of the doorway.

A step to a loggia or balcony can be arranged both on the inside - a room or room, and on the outside - a balcony or loggia. Where the floor level is lower, there will be a threshold installed for the balcony door.

Sometimes it happens that the floor levels seem to be the same, but a protruding part is formed in the lower part, which is an element of a wooden or plastic door frame, or may be due to the design of the main wall. If this is a factory-made panel, this option is most likely due to its design features. In this case, the threshold, which ensures ease of movement, is formed by two steps located on one side and on the other.

If the threshold is formed by a door frame, the balcony or loggia is insulated, and the temperature between the rooms is the same, when using a wooden frame it will be easier to completely remove the threshold on the balcony, and arrange the opening in the same way as a regular interior one inside the apartment. The frame for a plastic door, on the contrary, is made in such a way that when using it, there will be no way to avoid making the lower threshold for the balcony door. You need to choose the type of door that will be used for the transition before insulating the balcony or loggia.

Materials and finishing of balcony thresholds

For the main load-bearing and forming part, so to speak, the body of the threshold, one of the three most common methods used in construction is used - a wooden beam with a cross-section individually processed to the required dimensions, ordinary clay brick of a grade no lower than M75, concrete, it is better if it is expanded clay concrete no lower class B20 – grade M250. If the height is small, the concrete can be replaced with a cement-sand screed.

The decorative design and finishing of the thresholds must correspond to the same parameters as the floor of the rooms in which they are located. If inside - the floor of a room, outside - the floor of a balcony or loggia. The external surfaces of the thresholds can be finished using the whole variety of building materials that are used for finishing floors. They can be covered with parquet or solid boards, laminate, linoleum, lined with ceramic tiles, natural or artificial stone.

Parquet or solid boards can later be treated with a tinting composition that allows them to imitate valuable types of wood and varnished.

Laying laminate flooring on thresholds differs from usual in that all seams and junctions are sealed with silicone mastic.

Linoleum is installed with adhesive mastic, and its seams are welded using a special machine.

A threshold trimmed with ceramic tiles, natural or artificial stone, which is set on a special glue or cement-sand mortar, fits well into any balcony doorway. The joints between the tiles must be cut to a depth of 3...5 mm and filled using some kind of silicone grout.

Use of sheet metal and plastic

There are a number of finishes that work well with other traditionally used cladding materials. This is the use of metal or plastic in the form of sheets, plates or decorative elements formed on their basis. So, for example, you can make a plastic polyvinyl chloride threshold for a balcony, using for decoration a standard window sill, overhang or ebb for plastic windows with all the inventory fasteners. There is no difficulty in making a threshold on a plastic balcony with your own hands. The disadvantage of this design is that plastic thresholds from window overhangs are short-lived. Plastic not intended for manufacturing easily gets dirty, deformed, and when a point load is applied, cracks and chips may appear in it.

For unheated balconies and loggias, the threshold can be provided with additional insulation of the threshold. To do this, a gap should be left between the cladding and the main body of the concrete or brick threshold and filled with sheet foam or mineral wool.

The option of finishing the threshold needs to be thought out in advance, even before its production begins. For example, the width of the threshold can be slightly reduced if embedded parts for mounting and securing the external cladding can be embedded into its design during the execution process. These can be wooden blocks, slats, or metal (steel, aluminum) corners pre-treated with anti-rot and mold agents for cladding vertical surfaces. The horizontal cladding technology must coincide with the floor cladding technology. The coating should not be unsteady and prevent the appearance of deflections and distortions. All seams and junctions of various threshold cladding elements to floors, walls, slopes, and door frames must be carefully sealed in order to prevent water from washing floors or condensation from getting under the cladding, especially if the threshold separates rooms with different temperature conditions.

When making the thresholds directly, it will be better if their final surface finishing is carried out simultaneously with the floor covering. When, for structural reasons, it turns out that concrete or brick must be used to install a fairly massive threshold on the balcony, you need to prepare for its manufacture. This applies both to the preparation of the necessary tools along with the procurement of the necessary building materials, as well as to the correct organization and provision of the scope of work.

Manufacturing technology of concrete or brick dividing balcony threshold

The list of tools most often includes:

• electric hammer or electric drill;
• bubble level;
• hacksaws for metal and wood;
• hammer-pick;
• pliers or pliers;
• trowel for brickwork;
• steel brush;
• brush for priming;
• container for mixing mortar or concrete;
• measuring utensils.

The list of materials is also quite simple:

• ordinary clay brick M75;
• cement M400...M 500;
• clean river sand;
• expanded clay with a fraction of 5...7 mm;
• reinforcing bars with d = 8…10 mm;
• reinforcing wire with d = 4...6 mm;
• PVA or acrylic latex for primer;
• soft knitting wire 0.7…1.0 mm for making frames or meshes;
• short nails, cut into the required quantity;
• trimming bars, slats, corners for embedded cladding parts.

An approximate scope of work for the production of dividing thresholds using concreting or brickwork:

1. surface dust removal;
2. wet wipe and dry;
3. production and installation of a reinforcing frame with working rods with d = 8...10 mm and secondary ones - 4...6 mm, if the base of the future concrete structure is the plank floor of a wooden floor;
4. if the structure should be brick, flat meshes with cells from 5 x 5 cm are made from reinforcing wire with a diameter of 4...6 mm, laid on top of each horizontal row of brickwork;
5. production and installation of formwork from any rigid sheet material at hand;
6. to further strengthen the connection of the threshold with the floor, wall and door slopes in the supporting parts of these elements, short nails 100 mm long with cut heads can be installed in pre-drilled holes;
7. priming working surfaces to increase their adhesive (sticking) ability with polyvinyl acetate emulsion or acrylic latex diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3;
8. installation and fastening of embedded parts for cladding;
9. concreting or bricklaying the threshold; We should not forget that the geometric dimensions of the structure must be less than the required thickness of the cladding;
10. cladding and final finishing of the outer surface.

Important: if you want to dismantle the old threshold on the balcony, which is an integral element of the reinforced concrete wall panel, before installing a new one, you should consult with specialists and obtain the appropriate permission for this, since independent removal of parts of the prefabricated load-bearing structure of a multi-story building can cause the collapse of the wall with all the ensuing consequences. consequences.

The new frame and door are installed on the balcony, which means it's time to take care of the threshold. For an experienced builder, this is a matter of minutes, but beginners in this area often ask the question “how to make a threshold for a balcony.” Of course, such a task will require skill from you and it may seem that it is not easy. But if you study the theory and understand it, there shouldn’t be any difficulties. Let's figure out what a balcony threshold should be and how it can be made.

The need for a balcony threshold

In addition to its attractive appearance, your threshold performs a number of useful functions:

1. It creates a smooth transition from the floor of the room to the bottom of the balcony door. This is especially true for families with small children or elderly people.
2. It complements the protection against cold, which is currently provided only by polyurethane foam. Often it can let in cold, which reduces the degree of comfort in the room, especially if the loggia or balcony does not have glazing and insulation.
3. Moisture protection. If the balcony is not glazed, then precipitation can flow into the room through the cracks; the threshold will prevent this.
4. Eliminate heat loss through so-called cold bridges.
5. It will reduce the chance of tripping over an unfinished structure and make crossing it more comfortable.

Threshold manufacturing options

Most often, thresholds for balconies or loggias are made from the following materials:

• bricks;
• plastic;
• cement screed and tiles;
• wood

Let's look at each option in more detail.

Brick threshold to the balcony

Most often, this type of threshold is used when there is a large transition between the balcony frame and the floor of the room. It is the thickness of this material that will help to significantly reduce it.