Do-it-yourself exterior decoration of the balcony, types of decoration material
The balcony in the room can be used in different ways. Someone organizes a winter garden on it.
For some, this room serves as a lounge. The decoration of the balcony and the external attractiveness depend on how the loggia or balcony will be used.
The content of the article
Types of finishing material
Exterior decoration of the loggia is needed in order to create a rather attractive appearance of this room. Also, such works can significantly reduce heat loss, as during the external finishing works, this part of the house is insulated.
External finishing work on the balcony or loggia can be performed:
- Siding.
- Plastic.
- Decking.
Loggia siding
Siding is a practical and durable finishing material. It is used when outdoor decoration balconies.
There are certain advantages to this material. It is resistant to temperature changes and is not able to pass moisture.
Also, the material is considered heat-resistant and in combination with a heat insulator can create a constant temperature regime in the room.
Siding has a large number of colors and textures. Also, its surface may vary.
When installing such a finishing material may cause some difficulties, but this is only if you do not follow certain instructions for fastening. Calculation of the exact amount of material that may be needed for finishing work should only be carried out under the supervision of a professional.
You can calculate the amount of siding yourself, but for this you will need to make the correct measurements of each plane of the balcony.
Tip. You need to buy the material in the required amount, which is increased by 10-20%. This will allow you to have such finishing material with a margin for an unforeseen event (siding breakdown and much more).
There are two types of siding:
- Wood.
- Vinyl.
Wooden, for outdoor use, is rarely used, as it is able to change its structure under the influence of any climatic and weather phenomena. It absorbs moisture well and is capable of being exposed to insects.
Also, do not forget that the wood is very flammable, even despite the high-quality processing of its special means.
More popular in exterior decorating is vinyl siding. It is non-toxic and fireproof.
Also, its color does not fade under direct sunlight. This type does not contribute to the development of fungus on the surface and has a rather low coefficient of anticorrosion.
The process of finishing the balcony with siding
In order to efficiently carry out exterior finishing work on the skin of a balcony, you need to use:
- Wooden bars.
- Metal carcass.
- Screwdriver.
- Drill.
- Self-tapping screws.
- Polyurethane foam.
- OSB sheets.
- Level and other supporting tools.
The first thing to do is crate. Subsequently, strips of such a finishing material will be attached to it.
If the crate is metal, then its elements are fastened together by welding.
If the crate is wooden, then it is fastened with screws and large screws:
Attention. The most important thing in the process of finishing siding with a balcony or loggia is the correct installation of the starting strip.
- Subsequent strips of material will depart from it and the quality of the work performed will depend on how smoothly it is located. In such a strip, an auxiliary profile is attached, which is able to adjust the position of the siding strips, which are lapped.
- The first strip is laid in the starting strip and fixed in it with screws. Such outdoor work cannot be carried out without a safety belt, especially if they are carried out “from the street”.
- Each strip before fixing should be checked by level. To the outside siding balconies It was better to take into account the fact that siding is a rather capricious material that can expand in the warm season.
Tip. This must be taken into account without fail when the installation of siding is carried out with an overlap.
The desired size of the panels is adjusted using a hacksaw or a special knife. During the installation of such finishing material, it will be possible to immediately carry out insulation work.
- To do this, OSB sheets are attached to the crate. Only then siding strips are mounted on them.
From the inside, such material is closed by a heater, it is polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam. OSB or plywood sheets are also laid on top of it and only then are the internal finishing works carried out.
External sheathing of a balcony or loggia with plastic
Today there are a variety of materials for the exterior decoration of the balcony, but plastic, or rather, plastic lining, is very popular. She gives this room a neat appearance from the outside.
The photo shows an example of such a finish.
Why do most people prefer just such a finishing material?
Everything happens for the reason that plastic is very practical and durable. It is quite easy to care for, since it will not be necessary to use special products to clean it.
Do not forget that plastic:
- Moisture resistant.
- Heat resistant.
- It is not exposed to all kinds of weather events.
- It does not deform under the influence of direct sunlight.
- Almost does not fade.
The last point can be attributed to a certain type of such finishing material, which has high quality indicators. The price for it will be quite high, but the service life will also be long.
So:
- Plastic can be used in conjunction with insulation and this will make it possible to create a certain temperature regime on the balcony, which can be maintained all year round, since plastic does not allow air to pass through.
- Plastic is very easy to install and the entire construction made with its help will be lightweight, which will not give additional load to the balcony slab of the base.
- In addition to all the listed advantages of such a finishing material, there are a number of disadvantages that practically do not affect the choice of material for most people.
These include the fragility of the material itself and a fairly rapid loss of presentation. Plastic very quickly loses its color under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, but this only applies to cheaper types of this finishing material.
The process of covering the balcony with a plastic lining
In order to qualitatively finish the balcony with a plastic lining, you will need to first build a crate. It is made of either wood or metal.
Plastic trim for the balcony can be done with your own hands, which will greatly save money.
Tip. It is best to use only a metal crate on the balcony. It is not subjected to deformation under the influence of moisture and does not allow the development of fungal diseases on the surface of such a material.
For work you will need:
- Level or rule.
- Screwdriver.
- Drill.
- Self-tapping screws.
- Dowels.
- Polyurethane foam.
- Construction stapler.
- Plastic lining.
- Guides and auxiliary profiles.
- Stationery knife or hacksaw.
- Ruler.
If the crate is made of metal, then its elements are fastened together by welding. If the crate is made of wood, then the structure is fastened with wood screws and attached to the walls with dowels.
For a high-quality crate, you will need to correctly measure all the distances on the balcony. After that, the design is assembled in place to make it easier to fit all the permissible sizes of the elements.
The first sheet of plastic lining is attached to the starting guide, which is attached to the crate using self-tapping screws or a construction stapler. It will need to be aligned according to the level or rule.
It is the first strip that will set the situation for all subsequent ones and the quality of finishing work will depend on it.
Tip. All finishing work on the exterior of the balcony is best done even before it is glazed. This will give the opportunity to act freely and fasten the finishing material.
The sheets of plastic lining are fastened together using special locks, which are located at the end of each part of this type. If the size needs to be adjusted, then the plastic can be cut without problems with the help of an office knife or a hacksaw.
To the outer corners of the balcony or loggia were also neat it is necessary to use special plastic corners, which are also attached to the crate, but only after installation of all plastic strips is completed. They are considered the final stage of finishing work.
The video shows the entire process of finishing the balcony with a plastic lining.
Covering the balcony with corrugated board
Decking has good characteristics. It is durable and practical.
Also, it is not exposed to climatic conditions and has a rather attractive appearance. The balcony or loggia will look unusual.
The only drawback of such a finishing material will be that it is able to heat up very quickly under the influence of direct sunlight.
Installation of corrugated board is very simple and you can do it yourself. There is a certain instruction, following which you can get a high-quality finish as a result.
Installation of sheets is also carried out on pre-made crate. Only in this case it should only be metal in order to withstand the additional load.
Also, do not forget about the affordable cost of such finishing material, which will last a very long period of time. Decking is diverse in its colors, which makes it possible to create a unique design of the outer walls of the balcony room.
