Open balcony: trim options and design ideas

An open balcony, even a very small one, is the dream of many, many apartment and house owners. Which is understandable, because in the warm season (where May and early autumn can be attributed) in this small area you can organize a cozy place. You seem to be already on the street, but still in your house. If you already have such a balcony, the issue of its improvement may be relevant.

You can start with the minuses, since it is impossible to conceal them. An open balcony without glazing is a priori not a warm area. In summer, you can drink tea on the balcony and enjoy the beautiful weather without leaving your home. But in other months, this territory is not so good. Besides it contributes disproportionately to the accumulation of dust, debris, rainfall than closed space.

Finally, the open balcony is not protected from thieves, it is impossible to fully dry clothes on it, without fear of rainfall. Yes, and a closed balcony is easier to imagine a small self-sufficient room than an open space.

What are the advantages of an open balcony:

• on the open balcony in the summer you can even sunbathe;
• in sunny weather, you can dry clothes very quickly;
• to demonstrate floral decoration is the best option;
• the balcony can be beautifully decorated, and it will be visible to all passers-by;
• This is the fastest way to get outside.

Finally, if you purchased a home with an open balcony, then either have to invest a lot of money and effort in its glazing, or just leave the type of balcony the same, but think about its arrangement.

A balcony is called a platform that protrudes from the facade of the building for a certain distance. The perimeter of the site is fenced with a railing. The standard depth of the site is 1-1.6 m. The whole structure consists of a reinforced concrete horizontal slab, fencing, as well as additional fastenings.

Balconies are:

• on cantilever beams - such are used in old houses, the base plate is supported by reinforced concrete or metal cantilever beams, which are embedded in the wall to a certain depth (not less than 38 cm);
• on the console reinforced concrete plate - the design is similar to the first option, that's just the role of the base plate went to the cantilevered plate, these are usually installed in brick buildings;
• with external supports - this makes it possible to make large balconies, columns or brackets serve as additional supports;
• added - they are attached to the facade of the building with side supports, and in order to reduce the load on the wall, front racks are used;
• attached - these structures are fixed by supporting consoles, this design also holds emphasis on the front struts;
• mounted - and these balconies seem to be “hung” on the facade of the house with the help of special wall mounts.

Regardless of the type of construction, you can turn a balcony into a cozy corner in the house. How to do this, read on.

If the balcony is open, then the organization of the visor above it will definitely be for the benefit of the site. The visor organizes protection against rain, makes the balcony without a roof more concise, helps visually close its space. And also the visor protects vacationers on the balcony from the harmful excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, prevents snow from accumulating in the winter on the balcony, and protects against debris and dirt.

The standard design of the visor can be considered a frame plus coating material. I must say that the visor and the balcony roof are not the same thing. The visor is always attached to the outside of the balcony, it looks like a continuation of the design. Roofs are fixed on a bearing wall or mounted on special supports.

To design a single-slope visor can be used:

• corrugated board;
• slate;
• glass;
• carbonate sheets.

The gable roof resembles a classic roof. This design will look nice with initially small sizes. The visor will be attractive, decorated with forged elements. The arched shape of the visor is also interesting, forged is also preferable.

There can be a lot of questions about the finish. One of the first is floor screed. The floor covering will come into contact with precipitation, temperature fluctuations will affect it. Therefore, finishing the floor is a serious task. Usually it is solved in stages: first, two types of reinforcing mesh are laid, then lighthouses are installed, the cement-sand mixture is diluted, the screed is stretched.

The next question is what exactly to lay on the floor. The most convenient option will be ceramic tile, which is intended for use in the open. Tiles must necessarily be safe: have a rough non-slip surface. Where the floor joins the wall, be sure to lay ceramic border. This will prevent water from entering the gap between the screed and the wall.

Some owners decide to lay a screed thermal cable. When the “smart” system is included in the network, the surface temperature of the site will be higher than the snowmelt temperature, which means that there will be no dangerous ice on the surface.

Cladding / wall decoration may involve the use of:

• ceramic tiles with a glossy surface, which will save time cleaning walls, because dirt and dust are poorly retained on the gloss;
• imitation of natural stone - it is not easy to lay it, but the appearance is beyond praise;
• decorative plaster - if the facade of the house is also covered with it, this is a logical decision.

And also the walls can be sheathed with siding, it is more wear-resistant than, for example, plastic, but less expensive than wood.

You can also equip a balcony with a terrace board. Decking is actually a universal finish, because you can lay it both on the street and indoors. And even its versatility lies in the fact that it is capable of becoming a topcoat for walls, for floors, and for fencing. In addition, this weather-resistant material looks very modern.

What cannot be done for sure is to clutter up the balcony with furniture. For example, if you put a bulky wardrobe on it, you don’t have to talk about a slender interior composition. A table and two or three chairs are the best option. If a full-fledged table doesn’t stand on the balcony, it’s most likely that you can put something like a mini-sofa on it. A table can be, by the way, folding.

Pallets, small cabinets, summer wicker furniture, coffee tables, benches with cushions for seat comfort - all this can be adapted for an inexpensive, but beautiful arrangement of the balcony. Shelves and shelving can be permanent in the open, or seasonal. Very often, owners of balconies reanimate old, small-sized furniture, which is very useful on the territory of the balcony.

The decor of the balcony is far from the last thing you need to pay attention to when arranging this site. For instance, gardening: the perception of a balcony or a loggia as a whole depends on its persuasiveness, relevance, aesthetics. In an apartment, in a house, in a city, in a country house, you can decorate a balcony with vegetation in completely different ways.

Making a balcony with flowers involves a number of nuances.

• Use of plants according to the side on which the site is located. If direct sunlight is constantly on the balcony, they can harm a certain group of plants.
• A convenient option for landscaping - climbing creepersThey protect the balcony from street dust and noise, from sunlight in the heat. Among the asphalt and concrete, such a green corner is beautiful.
• The flower garden on the balcony is already a voluminous decor. Therefore, if it is adjacent to large furniture, you get a visual overload. Shod, transparent, through furniture is well combined with greens. If you have a plastic table and chairs, this is quite an option for the warm season.

Do not be afraid of hand-made decor or interesting, fun ideas. For example, cotton and other garlands on the balcony look so that this place cannot be a priori associated with something economic and depressing. You can decorate the walls of the balcony with posters, panels, boards on a string on which you can write with chalk and so on. In the evenings, the balcony can be decorated with candles in large candle vases. Evening tea in such a place will be especially tasty.

The following selection contains the most beautiful open balconies, examples of which can inspire their own "Everests" design.

Take a look at 10 cozy open balconies.

• It is beautiful for its simplicity and elegance. A table and two chairs do not look bulky, flowers better than any store decoration reflect the idea of ​​the author, light bulbs and lanterns add coziness.

• A small balcony with not the smallest possibilities. Just imagine how great it is to be on such a platform after work, take off your shoes, climb into a chair and drink a particularly aromatic coffee in the fresh air. Everything is beautiful, appropriate, green, and does not require large expenses.

• Pallets, inexpensive rugs, DIY flowers - who can’t do it. And if the pillow covers are sewn “merry”, then the place for morning magazines and invigorating drinks will be just perfect. The most budget option.

• This type of arrangement of an open balcony shows that even gatherings of “more than two” can be arranged in such a place. In good weather, all meals can be safely transferred to this cozy area.

• Unconditional beauty, where every centimeter is equipped with love. Both candles and garlands make evenings on such a balcony incredibly sentimental. And if you look closely, there is nothing complicated here.

• What a cozy bright option - it seems, you can even arrange yourself a dream on a summer night. Fine and concise, and again there is nothing complicated, very expensive and impossible.

• Beautiful place under the roof. And here, indeed, you can sleep, in the afternoon - that's for sure. An excellent selection of plants and a wonderful color scheme.

• The balcony can be beautiful not only in summer. If you like color, brightness, natural diversity, then be sure to embody it on your open balcony.

• Those who can boast the size of a balcony should be inspired by such options. The question of where to receive guests in the warm season is closed.

• And the sofa, and the table, and the lighting, and the decor, and the floral design - everything here is good, cozy, environmentally friendly. You’ll want to go into the apartment less and less.