Balcony decoration, both internal and external, is an important stage in the interior design of the entire apartment. The use of high-quality modern materials will help make this room attractive and comfortable even when the balcony or loggia is not used as a living room.
The most popular type of finishing for balconies is panels. On construction markets you can find a huge number of panels of different materials, shapes, colors and textures. Such an abundance of choice often confuses novice repairmen. In this case, the purchase should be approached with full responsibility, clearly distinguishing between their properties and purpose.
What is the advantage of plastic panels?
In this matter, it is immediately worth dividing the panels into two types - for decorating walls and others for ceilings. Consider PVC panels for a balcony:
- Wall panels are very durable, they have practically no flexibility, which is why they are not afraid of loads, this allows plastic panels to withstand the weight of shelves and small cabinets.
- Ceiling panels cannot boast of high strength, however, their main purpose is to support their weight.
Choice of insulation
Leaving the balcony without insulation is simply stupid, which means we will also need insulation. It is better not to use mineral wool on the balcony; it can absorb moisture. Liquid insulation materials such as polyurethane foam or penoizol are quite expensive.
Insulating sandwich panels with a decorative coating are a good thing, but they are even more expensive. In addition, the internal lining will hide them from view, which means that some of the money will be wasted.
Decorative sandwich panels with insulation.
Why are plastic panels popular?
The material has a huge list of merits and privileges based on which consumers choose it. What is this?
It is easy to install. To work with PVC you do not need to have any special skills or abilities.
Light weight, another plus in installation. Due to the lightness and mobility of plastic sheets, they are easy to install, and a person without special physical training can handle them.
The financial component or simply the price. The material is cheap.
Durability. Plastic is a profitable investment; not only is it a cheap material, but it will last at least ten years, and this is a doubly profitable investment.
Attractive appearance - a well-kept balcony is always beautiful.
Environmental friendliness is an important component of today.
The variety of colors and textures also encourages people to choose plastic panels. You can choose any option at the customer’s request; it can ideally match the overall style of the apartment or ideally complement the design solution of the balcony itself.
It is easy to replace. At the same time, you can change local areas, this is profitable and practical. Families with small children or pets, where the risk of damage to the wall covering is quite high, will especially like this option.
Plastic panels can perfectly hide the necessary communications.
Ease of cleaning is another important point. Plastic panels can be cleaned by wet cleaning using detergents.
Plastic panels can improve the performance of a room in two ways at once - sound insulation and improvement of the thermal conditions in the room.
Upper belt
If the balcony slab is not skewed and the lower belt is not needed immediately, we now make it from timber onto the sheathing, as described above.
Again, the height of the lower belt is at least 80 mm, i.e. it needs to be made from two or three rows of timber. We measure how many WHOLE strips of siding will fit along the height of the fence, from the top edge of the bottom chord. Siding, unlike lining, cannot be cut lengthwise to size. THE TOP EDGE OF THE TOP SIDING MUST APPLY EXACTLY TO THE TOP EDGE OF THE FENCE. Please note that to install the casing you will need at least 20 mm of board.
Therefore, along the upper connection of the balcony railing, you need to make an upper belt from boards 60-100 mm wide. Its outer edge should protrude outward by the thickness of the sheathing, and the inner edge will support the window sill. The upper chord is fastened through the existing holes (through which the railings were attached) with self-tapping screws 6 mm long, 3/4 of the thickness of the upper beam, or, if the upper chord comes out thin, with bolts with heads flush through. It is better to take bolts with wide thin heads (press washers).
But what to do if the edge of the top strip of siding ends up protruding only 10-15 mm, or “falls short” by the same amount? If you don’t fence 200-250 mm of the upper belt, it’s a monkey’s work, and it will be inconvenient later.
In this case, you need to lay another beam below on top of the one already laid. The small space between the lower edge of the starting belt and the bottom of the wooden belt will then be painted over along with the balcony slab, but it will not be visible from below.
How to calculate the required number of panels?
The calculation should be made based on the size of the balcony and the desired finishing option. When making calculations, we must not forget about several details that play a big role when covering PVC balconies:
The panels are different, and their width is also varied. The standard option that will suit every balcony is 25 centimeters. If the walls have a complex architecture, you can use narrower specimens up to 10 centimeters wide;
The longest panel is 6 meters. For a standard balcony, options up to two and a half meters long are most often used.
To accurately hit the required size and number of panels, it is worth understanding the perimeter of the balcony. Multiply the perimeter by the height and divide by the width of the panel.
In this situation, it is better not to exclude the opening of doors and windows from the calculations; this will allow you to create a strategic reserve that can save you in the event of an error in the calculation or a defect in any gap.
When calculating the required amount for the ceiling, measure by dividing the area of the ceiling by the width of the panel. Round the resulting number up to the nearest whole number.
For reserve, it is worth purchasing two or three more panels. This will avoid unnecessary fuss when performing work. In addition, if panels are purchased in advance, before repairs, then you may encounter another problem.
The store may run out of panels or their production may be suspended. That is why it is better not to buy materials in advance or to buy them with a reserve sufficient for force majeure situations.
Preparatory work
Before you start finishing the surface, it is recommended to prepare it. It is important to glaze, insulate and seal the balcony space. Otherwise, all the work will go down the drain. If insulation and sealing can be done independently, then it is better to involve specialists in the process of installing window blocks. The work will be performed at heights, which means you need to be extremely careful.
Waterproofing the balcony from the inside
Before you begin insulating the surface, you need to seal all the cracks that go outside. For this purpose, you can use cement, construction foam or a special sealant. To insulate the room, it is recommended to sew in foam sheets before finishing. To fix them, you can use construction silicone.
If you plan to finish a balcony on the top floor or the neighbors above have an unglazed balcony, it is recommended to even insulate the ceiling.
What to buy from accessories?
Unfortunately, plastic panels alone will not be enough to decorate a balcony with PVC panels. To successfully complete the repair, it is necessary to provide a number of necessary elements:
- External corner;
- Internal type corner;
- Profile F;
- Start profile;
- Ceiling plinth;
- Profile for docking;
- Skirting for the floor.
Decorative plaster
A traditional option for wall decoration can be called decorative or relief plaster. This material is produced in a wide range, and is applied with varying depths and complexity of relief. This type of coating is at the same time protective, as it protects the walls from the penetration of moisture and dust.
It is very important that having applied the plaster solution to the walls once, the owner is free to change the color of the finish at any time, since re-painting the surfaces will not be difficult. To change the color scheme you only need water-based paint, a brush and a roller
Instructions
First you need to install the sheathing. Measure 5 cm from the floor and install the timber. This is necessary if lighting is sewn into the ceiling; in a simpler version, it can be attached directly to the ceiling without the gap necessary for working with electricity and installing lamps.
Fastening must be done using nails. It is ideal to treat everything with an antiseptic to prevent the appearance of mold and mildew. During prolonged rains, this is possible.
Next, we place the beams and make a gap between them of 50 cm. On the other side, at the same level, we place exactly the same beam. The remaining beams on the other side are set according to the same principle with a gap of 50 cm. All work must be checked using a building level.
The timber that covers the window is cut off. We also attach the timber to the window sill using self-tapping screws. In parallel, another beam is attached to it, but this time to the floor.
Next, we attach a new beam between the slats at a right angle with a gap of 50 centimeters between them.
Afterwards, a rail is installed parallel to the finished frame.
Important: if the balcony is large and wide, then the structure must be strengthened and additional slats added depending on the length and width of the balcony.
We fix the rail with a self-tapping screw at an angle. The first profile is made in the form of a U-bar, which is attached to the finished structure. Such strips should also be obtained at the window sill and at the junction of the side and internal walls.
The plastic panel is checked with a level for evenness and then attached using self-tapping screws, and then subsequent panels are installed in the lock of the previous one.
Don't be afraid of having to trim the last panel, this is a classic practice.
Under the window, the panels are fastened after changing the size of the panels to fit the window sill space according to the same principle.
Balconies covered with PVC are durable and attractive. Sheathing a balcony with PVC panels is easy and simple even for the average person.
And what a variety of activities can be arranged on a balcony decorated in exactly this way. You can easily place a relaxation area there or a great place to practice yoga in the morning.
Such a balcony is suitable for home meals in the warm season, just like there is beautiful greenery outside the window. Plastic panels will look great both in an impromptu gym and in a home workshop.
In this case, plastic panels will also be as practical as possible, because even with a small defect they will be easy to replace locally, in the damaged area!
It is worth choosing light shades, however, you should not choose a pure white shade. As you know, plastic is proven to absorb toxic elements from the air, and the balcony is an area where the amount of dust and dirt from the street is colossal.
That is why a pure white balcony can quickly lose its festive and clean appearance. In such a situation, it is better to choose warm pastel colors or go for rich dark shades. They are the ones that will serve as long as possible.
It is also worth taking a closer look at complex patterns based on stains and abrasions. This effect will be as convenient and practical as possible for any balcony.
Good balconies and easy repairs, so that the new balcony will delight you for a long time and bring many happy minutes spent on it!
Do-it-yourself plastic for covering a loggia
- Laminated PVC panels are made by gluing a decorative finishing film to the surface of the panel. A strip of plastic treated with this finishing increases its strength and becomes invulnerable to scratches. This plastic looks very elegant; samples can be seen in the photos in manufacturers’ catalogs.
- The next type of finishing is offset photo printing, which involves applying various patterns and textures of materials to the surface, and then covering it with a high-quality layer of varnish. The coating is resistant to fading under the influence of the sun, which is very important for cladding a loggia. Varnish can add gloss to PVC panels or make them matte, on which photo printing will look more clear.
- Another finishing method is to transfer patterns onto the surface of plastic to cover the room with your own hands under the influence of high temperature. This allows the paint and plastic to bond firmly. Silver and golden designs are obtained only in this way.
- Recent scientific developments have made it possible to obtain plastic PVC panels with a mirror surface. Samples mounted on the ceiling of a balcony or loggia will visually increase the height by approximately two times. The limitation is that such a coating should not be exposed to sunlight, which will quickly remove the reflectivity.
Plastic panel options
Photo of PVC balcony finishing
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Selecting materials
External finishing of the balcony with plastic
Before starting the external finishing, the balcony is glazed, or to be more precise, these activities are carried out simultaneously. A glazed balcony retains heat inside the room and, if properly decorated, becomes a residential part of the apartment. The cladding should be selected based on the required technical characteristics and properties, namely:
- Resistance to external influences from snow and rain.
- No deformation during sudden temperature fluctuations.
- Color fastness under ultraviolet exposure.
Important! Decorating balconies from the outside requires compliance with safety rules. Most often, work takes place at height, so equipment and steeplejack equipment will be necessary. In some cases, it will be necessary to involve professionals and companies that perform facade cladding.
Typical mistakes in the external decoration of a balcony
Frameless glazing, in which aluminum and stainless steel are used, and the tempered glass used moves on rollers, is especially popular. A glazed balcony looks perfect, but it has both pros and cons:
- The glass is especially strong – it can withstand strong gusts of wind and is difficult to break.
- Beauty and sophistication.
- Mosquito nets cannot be used - to protect against insects, they are installed on the entrance doors.
- Does not protect from noise and cold.
Important! It is more difficult to glaze frameless using your own hands than to use metal siding or thermal panels.
