Subtleties of finishing the balcony outside

If you look with bated breath at the balconies with beautiful exterior decoration, and such objects evoke a feeling of envy and admiration, know that your balcony can also easily be transformed, becoming a source of pride. All the subtleties of the exterior decoration of the balcony we will reveal further.

Finishing the balcony from the outside carries extensive functionality. After exploring all the benefits, no one will doubt the relevance of the exterior.

1. External transformation of the balcony, giving it freshness and aesthetics.
2. Facing from the street allows you to organize high-quality protection from various influences (precipitation, wind, sun, mechanical damage) for the outer surface of the balcony and its interior.
3. Finishing the outside allows you to create additional insulation.
4. Protection of the base of the structure, which is usually created from slabs and cement coatings. The base in the balconies with external decoration lasts much longer.
5. Improvement of external balconies due to the sheathing of the outside.

Do not rush to start decorating the balcony. First you have to solve the problem of material selection. The modern building materials market offers many options that are suitable for these purposes. Not all of them are equally good, so you have to study each option and choose the best one.

• Lining from plastic is the most affordable material, is available in a large assortment and is made to order by many companies. Such plastic panels are mounted on a metal or wooden crate. Installation takes a minimum of time, does not require the use of a professional tool and specialist assistance. When choosing this material, it is worth considering its fragility, which makes transportation inconvenient, and the ability to lose color from exposure to sunlight. And also due to the lightness of the panel can be disrupted by strong gusts of wind.

• Metal siding used very often for such purposes. With high durability and excellent strength, this material is relatively affordable. The service life is 50 years, the metal siding does not burn, maintains external characteristics, despite exposure to sunlight, alkalis and acids. Operation of metal siding is possible in the temperature range from -50 to +80 degrees Celsius. It is very simple to work with this material; professional skills and a special tool are not needed here.

• Professional sheet or corrugated board galvanized sheets with a corrugated surface are called. This option will cost more than plastic lining, but the reliability and strength here is also at a high level. Against the background of such characteristics, the low weight of professional sheets becomes an excellent advantage. With careful use, corrugated board can last up to 50 years. You can easily find the right option from a huge assortment.

• Vinyl siding is held in high esteem by many experts. This material is highly resistant to various external influences, which allows it to maintain its appearance and performance for a long time. Vinyl siding is not afraid of corrosion. Leaving consists in washing using ordinary detergents. It burns poorly, is characterized by an ecological composition, is not covered by cracks and can withstand high temperatures in the negative and positive ranges. The only thing that confuses the user is the high cost.

• Polycarbonate - A great option for glazing and exterior decoration of balconies. This material has many advantages, among which the most important are strength, durability, environmental friendliness, the ability to scatter sunlight and easy installation. Inside the balcony with such a finish, even on hot days it will be nice to be.

• Frameless glazing is gaining popularity. Although this lining is very expensive, it looks impressive and stylish. The technology provides for the location of windows across the entire width of the balcony. It is important to install tempered glass, which has high strength. The choice of this type of finish must be approached consciously, because glass has lower energy-saving properties compared to other materials.

You can not ignore the only material that is better not to use for the exterior of the balcony. It's about a tree. Let him have no equal for other purposes, but in our case the tree does not fit immediately in several ways. Wood is not highly resistant to moisture and infrared radiation. In addition, it quickly ignites and burns well.

The balcony is the face of the owner, his pride and one of the ways to demonstrate his skills. because the appearance of the balcony needs to be given maximum attention, to think through its design in advance, to take into account every little thing. The modern market of building materials and the opportunities that open to each user allow creating unique creations without special difficulties.

Our selection of interesting ideas will help determine the choice of the very design that you have long dreamed about.

• Wood is a popular building material, which has found many uses. Such a choice in most cases is a good solution, but not for the external decoration of balconies. Although the tree cannot be used for balconies, there are a lot of siding options that imitate natural material very accurately. Vinyl, metal or plastic materials will create a spectacular wooden balcony without using wood.

• The color of the design can be very different - from classic shades to bold and original. Many companies can paint siding, panels or sheets in any color. Moreover, it is not difficult to repaint the balcony yourself.

• The glazed balcony not only looks beautiful. This design has high functional properties, and inside it will always be warm and dry. With a well-organized thermal insulation and sealing, even in winter a comfortable temperature will remain on the balcony. Large windows are needed for the balcony - in this case it will look harmonious and spectacular, rather than resembling a birdhouse.

• You can close the balcony without glazing - This option is still relevant. Space lovers prefer an outdoor balcony. There is no need for insulation in such structures, but it is necessary to think through the design of the roof and the visor in detail so that water does not get inside. For open balconies, forged elements are often chosen that go well with polycarbonate.

With balconies located on the first floors, there are no problems. This option is the easiest and safest. Even with objects on the second floors it is easy to work, because you can use the stairs, or install the scaffold. Sheathing balconies that are located above the second floor is a difficult and dangerous task.

You can turn to specialists who are trained in such work, but it will be expensive. Such costs would not be appropriate if you try to do this work yourself. At the same time, it is imperative to comply with safety regulations that will help to avoid accidents:

• territory is protected under the balcony, which will limit the passage for other people;
• we put up warning signs;
• We provide ourselves and the assistant with safe working conditions - this can be scaffolding, parapet, equipment used by climbers.

Do not rush to get to work. First, prepare the tools you need for exterior decoration. It will be inconvenient to interrupt work to find a screwdriver or hammer. When everything is at hand, work is done faster:

• roulette and level will allow you to quickly and accurately take measurements;
• a hacksaw for wood with small teeth will be required for the installation of a wooden frame;
• hacksaw and scissors - for working with metal;
• drill and drill - for working with different materials;
• screwdriver;
• a hammer;
• stapler and staples to it;
• Bulgarian.

External lining of the balcony, like any other work, requires preparation. This is especially true of old structures that have not seen repair for several years or even decades. The essence of the preparatory work will be as follows:

• we check the condition and quality of the floors;
• we study base plates;
• if necessary, we carry out major repairs of the structure;
• we clean the base plate;
• we remove debris, dust and other contaminants from joints and crevices, weld them and restore tightness;
• dismantle the old railing and coverings;
• we clean and cover metal parts with soil;
• base concreted to create a flat surface.

Do not think that sheathe a balcony is a difficult job that only a professional can handle. It is enough to know some subtleties, be able to own the basic tool and follow the work plan. Although each of the materials described above has installation features, the main stages of work are common to all cases.

1. Regardless of what material will be used for cladding, work begins with the crate. It will serve as the basis for the sheathing material. For the frame, you can use wood or metal. Both options are equal. Both wood and iron must be treated with a protective agent, which will extend the life of the entire structure. The crate must be placed strictly perpendicular to the sheathing material - this will help the construction level.
2. On the finished frame we fasten the first strip of siding or covering sheet. It is very important to evenly position the first cladding element, since further installation will depend precisely on its location. To fix the exposed element, self-tapping screws are usually used. They should be located strictly in the center of the siding or panel.
3. The next element is inserted into the first and closed by a lock connection. The upper part of the panel is fixed with screws. No need to make a high density of fastening - it should be at an average level.
4. Between the panels you need to leave a gap of about 0.5 mm. This trick will avoid the deformation of the casing material as a result of its natural expansion and contraction, depending on fluctuations in air temperature.

The technology of external decoration of the balcony, see the next video.