Drying the balcony with plasterboard - do it yourself yourself

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Trimmed balcony

Recently, the balcony has ceased to be a simple place for drying clothes, smoking or a simple overview of the surroundings. Many people try to use not only loggias, but also balconies as additional living space.
Modern building materials make it possible to turn an ordinary balcony into a small, comfortable room used all year round.

Preparation for covering the balcony with plasterboard

Today we are just going to turn the ordinary balcony into such a room.
Before starting any work, you need to decide on tools and materials. First of all, we will choose materials.

Double-glazed window - the choice is made

An open balcony will certainly have to be glazed (seeGlazing and decoration of balconies and loggias: types of structures) In the old days, only homemade wooden frames could be used for this, but times are changing.
Today, for glazing a balcony, the best option would be to use plastic double-glazed windows. There should not be a problem with this. Just call the appropriate company and the issue will be resolved.

Load is an important factor.

Many, arranging the insulation and glazing of the balcony, do not think about the load on the balcony itself. This is a big mistake.
The balcony was not originally designed for high loads. Therefore, it is necessary to choose materials so that in the end, this load is as small as possible.

Our advice - before installing double-glazed windows on the balcony, be sure to consult with specialists. Incorrect load calculations can cost you a lot.

Frame - redistribute the load

But what if specialists recommend you to refuse to install double-glazed windows on the balcony? Do not despair. There is an exit.
In this case, just transfer the main load to the load-bearing wall. How to do it?
You will have to make a metal frame for installing windows. The frame itself must be mounted directly on the supporting wall.

Frame for windows

The figure shows that the frame is fixed regardless of the balcony. Subsequently, he will take the burden of the installed windows.
How to make and install such a frame, we will not consider today. We have a completely different topic, but I think the basic principle is clear.

Frame mounting scheme

External cladding

Brick lining should also be discarded. This is overweight, but we do not need it at all. Best option for exterior decoration will use a professional sheet. Now on sale there is a large number of different sheets and the price is not high. Take a galvanized sheet. It is lightweight, strong and durable.

Drywall - convenient, practical, beautiful

Next, think about the finish. At present, gypsum plasterboard sheets are widely used.

Our reference is GKL environmentally friendly material. In its production, cardboard and gypsum are used. It does not contain harmful impurities and does not have a harmful effect on the environment.

Drywall Sheets

So:

• One of the great qualities of drywall is its good workability.
• It is perfectly cut, drilled, putty and painted.
• After finishing the room with this material, perfectly smooth walls are obtained.
• Use it to complete arches and intricate designs.
• He can realize all your fantasies and ideas.

Well, what is not the option of finishing the balcony?

GKL choice for a balcony

Someone may doubt the applicability of drywall in the decoration of balconies. Of course, finishing with plasterboard loggia is a much more well-known method.
But you must understand that even if you use drywall in the decoration of the loggia without heating, ordinary drywall will not work for you. You will need moisture resistant.
And what is the difference between a balcony and a loggia? So we went on to the question of choosing the GCR.
If you do not plan to arrange heating on your glazed balcony, you should choose a moisture-proof drywall:

• The use of this material is possible even without the use of insulation.
• The main thing is that direct precipitation does not fall on him, he will cope with the rest.

It should be added that drywall perfectly retains heat and significantly reduces noise.
If you want to get a beautiful and at the same time warm balcony, it is better to use insulating materials, but again, this is not important. Everything is up to you.

Tool - nothing more

The issue with drywall resolved. It remains to choose the profiles of fastening and hardware. We will not focus our attention on this issue; quite a lot of detail has been written about this on the pages of our resources.
With regards to tools. The list of tools depends on the specific volume and type of work.
In general, the following can be said:

• For the construction of the frame of the balcony, you will need a complete set of bench tools.

To install drywall, you will need:

• Drill - hammer drill
• Scissors for metal
• Screwdriver with nozzles for existing screws
• Pliers
• Building tape
• Building level
• A variety of screwdrivers
• Spatulas

We trim the balcony

Where to begin? If, for example, on the loggia, gypsum plasterboard finishing begins with the installation of the GKL framework, then in the case of a balcony, it is necessary to do something different.

The first step is which framework, such and actions

We have a balcony and a frame of windows. From the side of the building wall, fastening the guide profile is not difficult.
If the profile is attached to the frame, problems may arise.
The best option is that the frame mounted on the wall of the building will be made of metal. In this case, it remains only to resolve the issue of mounting suspensions to it.
There are many ways and one of them is mounting the suspensions on rivets.

External sheathing with profiled sheet

If you assume that you have built a metal frame and decided to sheathe it outside with a professional sheet, in this case the use of rivets will be the most advantageous option.
Having purchased a rivet gun, the price for it is not high, you can use rivets to fix not only suspensions, but also a professional sheet on the frame. Fast, convenient and beautiful.

Rivet gun

Our advice - after fastening the profiled sheet with rivets, seal all the holes in them with silicone. Use silicone designed for outdoor use.
But there are cases when the frame is made of wood or wooden bars are attached to the metal frame, on which the profile for drywall is subsequently fixed. It is clear that mounting a profile on a tree is easier than on a metal, there is no need to drill.

Rivet fastening

If you decide to use this method, take care of protecting wooden structures from moisture. In this case, we are not talking about wood processing after installation.
All wooden parts must be treated with special protective equipment immediately before installation.
This way you will achieve quality processing from all sides.Special formulations can be purchased at hardware stores.
Their advantages are the protection of wooden structures from:

• Moisture
• Rotting
• Mold
• Fire

Instructions for use are attached to each specific tool. Do all the work in accordance with it, and your balcony will serve you for many years.

Processing an external wall - quality is the key to an excellent result

Loggia decoration drywall begins with the removal of paint and peeling plaster from the walls. In the case of a balcony, we will do the same.
We clean the wall and carefully examine. Of course, someone may object that all irregularities can be covered with drywall.

Exterior wall of the building

But we have a balcony and it is relatively narrow. So maybe it’s better not to plaster the wall of the building with plasterboard, stealing centimeters of a small area, but just to putty well and paint the existing wall?
In any case, whether you will sheathe the wall or not, clean it, putty in large potholes and treat it with an antiseptic. This will protect your balcony from the formation of mold under sheets of drywall.

Mounting the frame from the profile

Now everything is ready for installation of the GKL framework. Follow it according to the installation rules.

Profile mount

We understand that we have two elements, the balcony itself and the frame mounted on the wall. In this case, the profile will be attached to both the frame and the balcony.
Here the question may arise - but will the profile break when mixing the frame relative to the balcony? The question is fair.
Therefore, we want to draw your special attention to the framework:

• If the frame is made rigid enough, such problems will not arise. Rigidity in this case is not a hindrance.
• Although we have two separate structural elements, they are placed on the same bearing surface.
• In this case, this is the wall of the building, and it has a sufficient margin of safety and the load from the small frame is negligible.

The frame is ready.

Heater, vapor barrier - we do it right

If you decide to use insulation on your balcony, it is time to install it.
Choose a heater at your discretion. It all depends on the region of residence, the orientation of the balcony according to the cardinal points and your financial capabilities.
When laying the insulation with your own hands, consider certain rules:

• It should enter between the profile of the frame with some stretch.
• After laying, there should be no gaps or crevices

After installing the insulation, it was time to install a vapor barrier.

Vapor barrier

Our advice is to use roll foil. It is easy to handle, easy to install and relatively cheap.

GKL installation on the balcony - what is important to know

The installation of drywall should begin from the area where you can install the whole sheet. If the whole sheet does not fit anywhere, start at the place where the largest piece fits.
Further installation is in descending order.

GKL installation

GKL installation on the balcony is no different from any other room. We won’t describe in detail, especially on the pages of our resources there are many articles detailing the installation of drywall, there is an excellent video and photo of the whole process.
If plastic windows are installed on your balcony, then you will be interested in decorating the slopes of plastic windows with plasterboard.
Describing drywall, we mentioned the terms:

• Good heat and sound insulation

But you must understand that, first of all, drywall is a finishing material. If the joints in the window blocks are made incorrectly or superficially, drywall will not save the slopes from freezing and moisture.

Slopes on the windows of the balcony

The end - slopes, hard putty, painting

Finishing window slopes with plasterboard primarily involves the implementation of geometrically regular shapes. Using GCR, you can cover the insulation or create a designer setting.
Therefore, do not forget the rules for installing window blocks, their insulation and sealing.If you did everything correctly, then finishing with plasterboard window slopes will allow you to do the right slopes with your own hands without the experience of plastering and painting work and no more.
Installation completed. It remains only to putty and paint. But, this is a topic for a separate article.
Good luck to you!