How to do ventilation on the loggia and a balcony with your own hands

It takes more than just adding some warm furniture and lovely plants to make your loggia or balcony a more comfortable and livable area. An important point that is frequently missed is the necessity of adequate ventilation. It’s critical to have enough ventilation in your home for both your comfort and the wellbeing of your surroundings. It assists in preventing the growth of mold, mildew, and condensation—all of which are prevalent in enclosed areas with poor air circulation.

Fortunately, you don’t need expensive equipment or specialized knowledge to add ventilation to your loggia or balcony. Over the course of a weekend, you can install an efficient ventilation system with a little preparation and basic do-it-yourself knowledge. By ensuring proper circulation of fresh air, this process will improve your outdoor space’s usability and enjoyment. Good air quality will have a big impact on how you work, exercise, or simply unwind on your balcony or loggia.

It’s crucial to evaluate the airflow at the moment and locate any vents or openings before starting. From there, you can choose between adding new vents or enhancing the current ventilation system. The secret is to design a balanced system that allows for effective air exchange without sacrificing your home’s thermal insulation. This tutorial will help you understand the fundamentals of do-it-yourself ventilation, from selecting the appropriate materials to correctly installing them, so that your balcony or loggia is a comfortable haven all year round.

What depends on the correct microclimate of the loggia/balcony

Most likely, everyone noticed the contemporary homes that were being built. Large balconies, lovely facades, and loggias are all visually pleasing features! However, these premises’ insulation and glazing are not part of the construction project. If they so choose, the owners handle everything themselves, starting with the glazing because they think they’ve fixed every issue—including maintaining insulation from noise and heat. But for some reason, the room that was closed tightly was extremely raw, and the windows started to "cry." This also happens in older homes, where new metal-plastic sealed balconies are used in place of the original wooden frames.

One the one hand, the heat loss problem has been fixed. However, mold, a musty, damp smell, and window fogging appeared. Why is this taking place? Air flow through the balcony and loggia was unimpeded by the tree’s structure or the inherent fissures in the frames. Fresh air cannot enter this room from the kitchen or other rooms through plastic windows; instead, moisture and carbon dioxide-laden air from other rooms seeps in. Flowers and linen that is dried on the balcony cause condensation to fall.

It is unacceptable to have such a high concentration of dangerous air in a room that ought to be ventilated by default. It has a detrimental impact on people’s health in addition to harming furniture, building structures, and other things. As a result, the loggia or balcony needs proper insulation as well as a ventilation system.

When converting your loggia or balcony into a more functional space such as a mini greenhouse, workout area, or cozy relaxation spot, proper ventilation is crucial to maintain air quality and comfort. To ensure effective airflow, you can install a simple DIY ventilation system. Start by assessing the space to decide on the type of ventilation needed—mechanical or natural. For natural ventilation, consider adding vents or openings on opposite sides to enable cross ventilation. If opting for mechanical ventilation, installing an exhaust fan can be effective. Ensure that any openings or vents have protective grills or meshes to keep out pests and debris. Lastly, sealing gaps and ensuring good insulation while providing adequate air inlets and outlets will help maintain the desired temperature and air freshness throughout the year.

How the ventilation of the loggia is arranged

Therefore, planning a ventilation device is necessary when deciding on loggia repairs (insulation, glazing replacement). If someone believes that by opening a window to let some fresh air in, they will be greatly mistaken. The situation is made worse by frequently opening the window in the winter when the room is already extremely cold.

Prior to anything else, the type of loggia ventilation must be chosen. One of the three currently in use systems should be selected:

• natural;
• forced;
• mixed (supply or exhaust).

Natural ventilation

Involves no equipment installation at all. However, in order for it to function, the following considerations must be made:

• When warming a balcony that has no heating, you can not completely block the access to the air to the walls of the room. For this, when installing the insulation and facing layers on the walls, at the ceiling and by the floor, a gap is left at least 50 mm;
• All materials used for insulation should be waterproof.

Such ventilation works on the basis of exhausting spent air through ventilation ducts located in kitchens and sanitary rooms and bringing in fresh air from the outside. It goes without saying that this type of air exchange is inappropriate because living rooms shouldn’t be filled with damp air from drying linens or smoke from cigarettes, for example.

Crucial! An additional drawback of this type of ventilation is that the air movement from natural ventilation is influenced by the temperature differential between the interior and exterior. This variation is only achievable during the winter months. On the balcony that receives sunlight, there is no difference in temperature or it is higher during the warm season.

Forced air exchange

You will need a forced hood if the apartment’s owners intend to use the balcony for smoking. The installation of window valves on movable sash can help organize the influx. Thus, the installation of the recuperator is feasible if the loggia or large balcony is intended for frequent use. Although the equipment is fairly expensive, it is very effective.

Calculation of ventilation

Because balcony structures serve as private homes’ verandas, the air inside of them should be pure and not excessively humid or carbon dioxide-filled. Three different loggia and balcony ventilation systems are calculated for these purposes. What does this signify? Regarding the ventilation system, consider:

• Air flow movement speed along the ventilations.
• The volume of the balcony structure.
• The frequency increased by 25 % due to the ceiling level (installed for this room – 6 m).

We use the following information to make an approximative calculation: Air speed, according to SNiP 31-06-2009 public buildings and public buildings and structures, is 1 m/s. Length (A): 3.5 m, width (B): 1.5 m, height (H): 3.0 m.

Hence, v = abh = 3.5×1.5×3 = 15.75 cubic meters is the room’s volume;

The air exchange frequency (6-3) x0.25+3 = 3.75;

This room’s increased frequency of circulation is 15.75 x 3.75 = 59.06 cubic meters/m².

The diameter of the air duct can be determined by using the air flow table at a specific speed. It is 160 mm in this instance. Additionally, you can utilize our website’s air duct and shaped product calculator.

Crucial! Properly measured and installed balcony ventilation keeps the space free of mold, moisture, bad smells, and condensation. Of course, if a balcony is to be used as an additional room—an office, for instance—this calculation is appropriate for duct ventilation installation.

Improving the safety and comfort of your living space requires creating efficient ventilation on a loggia or balcony. This do-it-yourself project guards against moisture build-up, which can result in mold and mildew, in addition to helping to regulate the quality of the air. Without having to pay a fortune to hire an expert, you can accomplish results on par with those of a professional with the correct equipment and a rudimentary understanding of airflow principles.

Planning and selecting the best kind of ventilation system for your needs, whether mechanical or natural ventilation, is the first step in the process. A straightforward natural system that makes use of cross ventilation can work quite well for the majority of balconies and loggias. This entails making certain that air can flow freely into and out of the room, creating a natural flow that revitalizes the area.

This natural airflow can also be improved by installing vents or exhaust fans, particularly in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces where there is little to no air circulation. An exhaust fan can be a great investment for people who want more controlled ventilation. It’s crucial to think about the installation’s aesthetics as well, selecting materials that complement your balcony’s style rather than drawing attention away from the pleasure of being outside.

Last but not least, keep in mind that installing your new ventilation system is only half the battle won. The system will remain effective and last longer if blockages are routinely checked for and vents and fans are kept clean. By completing this project, you will enhance the quality of the air and increase the value of your house by creating a more comfortable and useful balcony or loggia.

To sum up, incorporating ventilation into your loggia or balcony is a valuable do-it-yourself project that improves the atmosphere and health of your living space. An outdoor extension of your house can be made to seem fresher and cozier with a little forethought, work, and regular upkeep.

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