Requirements
Complex finishing of the loggia from the inside is not cheap at all. Judging by the reviews, the minimum price is fifteen thousand rubles. That is why many undertake independent finishing of this part of an apartment or house. So, in order to decorate the loggia inside with your own hands, you need to know some important points, without which it is impossible to do this.
First, you need to decide what kind of balcony you plan to make: open, closed, stained-glass type or panoramic loggia. There are many options, there are even balconies with a fire escape.
In addition, you need to choose the right finishing materials. You can decorate the balcony with interesting plaster "bark beetle", you can put tiles on loggias with brick imitation, you can arrange it in the French manner. A loggia with a cork for interior decoration looks very unusual.
It is estimated that the maximum allowable load on a fully protruding balcony is approximately 1,100 kilograms. The permissible weight for attached balconies that are not hung outside the facade of an apartment or house on the street is approximately 1800 kilograms. That is why it is very important to calculate the total weight of building materials that you will use for glazing and insulation of the balcony, as well as the weight of its interior decoration. If you prefer glazed varieties, keep in mind that this design is heavier.
Finishing the balcony from the inside is usually carried out last, so it is important to carry out very accurate calculations of the weight and density of other building materials in order to choose a more suitable material for finishing the loggia. When making calculations, keep in mind that many building substances must be soaked in water before use, therefore, for example, when the substance is kept in a liquid for about four days, all weight calculations must be multiplied by a factor of 1.4.
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Moisture resistance
The moisture resistance of the balcony directly depends on the moisture resistance of the materials used for finishing. When arranging a balcony, it is necessary to take into account such an indicator as the dew point. This criterion is achieved when at a certain temperature, one hundred percent humidity is created. And then condensation begins to form. Warm dew can not only spoil wood, which starts to rot, and iron, which starts to rust, but also negatively affects human health. In addition, such conditions contribute to the appearance of the bark beetle.
The loggia, located on the sunny side, warms up very well, but it can overheat. Therefore, it is important to install ventilation devices on such glazed balconies; this is also true for an unheated room. Some owners neglect moisture-absorbing materials in the interior decoration of the balcony, since they are quite voluminous and "eat up" a large amount of space on the loggia. That is why the so-called warm dew appears on glazed balconies after a cold winter. Therefore, most experts advise using open non-glazed balconies.
Moisture absorption is calculated as a percentage of the dry weight of the material. If you carry out all the necessary measurements and calculations, you can find out that substances, the level of moisture absorption of which is more than two percent, categorically cannot be used for warming and finishing the loggia. As a rule, a rather high percentage of this indicator is characteristic of materials with a low density, therefore it is better to use denser components. If you use materials with an exceeded maximum possible level of moisture absorption, you run the risk of creating an atmosphere on the loggia that contributes to the development of various respiratory diseases in you.
That is why it is necessary to purchase materials for the interior decoration of the loggia with a moisture absorption level of no more than half a percent. Some manufacturers are trying to convey this criterion to consumers using another indicator - the level of water absorption. It shows the ability of this or that material to keep moisture out. But it is believed that this criterion does not show the level of moisture absorption at all. These conditions and calculations apply only to balconies suspended from the interior of a house or apartment, and for options that are combined with a living room or kitchen, this is not relevant.
Heat resistance
This indicator characterizes how much the strength and reliability of the material can decrease from exposure to high temperatures. It is measured as a percentage. It is best to choose materials for facing the balcony with a heat resistance level of no more than five percent. As a rule, manufacturers create materials with a very high level of heat resistance for greater reliability, which will never be useful in real conditions. Some experts believe that this is a marketing ploy, since this indicator is directly related to another more important criterion - frost resistance.
Frost resistance
This is an indicator that means the level of cyclicality of complete freezing and complete melting of the constituent substances. Moreover, these cycles are measured as follows. Freezing is considered to be when the temperature level falls below zero in degrees Celsius. Complete defrosting is considered to be heating materials to more than zero degrees.
With good frost resistance, the material will not lose more than five percent of its properties or density. For facing materials that are used for decorative purposes, this indicator will be characterized by the absence of visual damage or other changes. When calculating the frost resistance of materials, one should take into account how quickly it can warm up. For example, concrete thaws very slowly, while lighter cladding materials, on the contrary, melt very quickly, and, therefore, will often thaw and freeze, especially during the seasons, which are characterized by temperature fluctuations.
Materials for walls
To decorate the walls of the loggia, it is necessary, first of all, to level them with putty material. It is possible to arrange the walls of the balcony on a budget without insulation. If necessary, the side parts of the walls should be insulated with extruded polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene or other special material. After that, you can proceed to decorating the walls with facing materials.
An interesting design option is decorating the walls with decorative plaster. It looks very beautiful, especially if a skilled craftsman helps you with the design, besides, it is moisture resistant and reliable. Plasterboard wall decoration in such a room is very popular. This method is very simple, drywall is easy to cut and can be covered with any material on top, for example, liquid wallpaper. The only disadvantage of this building finishing material is that it is not frost-resistant, so it can only be mounted on insulated walls.
Another inexpensive and high-quality finishing material is plastic or vinyl wall panels. They can be easily installed with your own hands, they are very flexible and at the same time are not at all afraid of moisture. Manufacturers present a wide selection of such panels, so you can find a variety of colors and designs. But such material can easily fade in the sun, so it is better to use it for finishing loggias that are not located in the south.
For cladding the walls of the balcony, you can also use chipboard or MDF boards. This is a very affordable material. Although its appearance is a bit rustic, it can be varied by simply covering it with varnish or laminate.
Moreover, such a film has many design options: it can have an image imitating a masonry with a beautiful brick, or a drawing under a stone. This is a very stylish design solution, besides, it is quite budgetary, but the MDF and chipboard boards themselves are not suitable for use in rooms with too low or too high temperatures, in addition, this is a very non-environmentally friendly material.
The most beautiful and practical material for decorating the walls of a loggia is a decorative stone. This material is very reliable and durable, since it is not afraid of high or low temperatures, as well as high air humidity. In addition, it is perfect for finishing the balconies, they can also decorate the arches separating the balcony opening, combined with the kitchen. Decorative natural stone looks very luxurious, but has a rather high cost. But there is an alternative to this material - an artificial stone, which looks very much like a natural analogue, but has a lower price compared to it.
The main advantage of decorative stone, in addition to its appearance, can be considered that it can be applied to any surface. It can hide the irregularities and imperfections of all surfaces, since it has a relief texture. That is why, before laying such a stone, you will not need to level the surface of the walls.
Another popular material for decorating the walls of a loggia is clapboard. It is a very reliable material as it is made of wood. Coniferous lining is best suited for the balcony, since they are more resistant to frost. Such finishing material is distinguished by its beautiful appearance and high quality. For cladding the walls of the loggia, you can also use wallpaper for painting, tiles of absolutely any design, for example, marbled or bricked, a terrace board, in addition, you can decorate the walls of the loggia with a profiled sheet, clinker tiles, block house and other materials.
Ceiling decoration
The design of the ceiling is carried out after it is insulated, the lathing is installed, as well as after the cable has been laid for lighting and the installation of lighting fixtures. The ceiling of the balcony can be finished with the same materials as the walls. As a rule, various decorative materials are used for this. Plasterboard is an excellent material for finishing the ceiling, as it ensures its smoothness and creates an absolutely flat surface. It can only be laid on the insulated ceiling.
Plywood is a more stable material for finishing the ceiling. It is quite reliable, has the ability to withstand temperature changes and, moreover, has a low cost. You can also decorate the ceiling with polycarbonate or corrugated board. These are very reliable and high quality materials that are ideal for finishing this part of the room.
A ceiling with hidden niches can be made by decorating it with tiles. A tile with a decorative pattern or embossed stone will help hide such a niche or, conversely, make it a beautiful decorative element, a highlight of your balcony. In general, decorating the ceiling with tiles is a very economical solution, besides, it is very easy to tile the ceiling, so you can do it yourself. You can choose tiles that will be the same color as the floor, and make the walls in a contrasting color. The only drawback of ceiling tiles is that they can crack in severe frosts.
Now many are finishing the entire room with clapboard, including the ceiling. The lining is distinguished by its beautiful appearance and environmental friendliness. Just keep in mind that all wood materials must be treated with special disinfectants so that fungus does not form on them. Another option for finishing the ceiling of the loggia is the design of the slatted ceiling. Such a ceiling is made of metal elements and is very durable; it can be mounted both on glazed balconies and on open-type loggias.
We lay the floor
When choosing a material for finishing a floor on a loggia, it is necessary to focus on the quality of the material, as well as on its resistance to external factors such as weather. In addition, it is important that such material be easy to wash and clean from dust, which very easily penetrates the loggia from the street. Most often, the floors on the balconies are finished with linoleum, laminate, parquet or ceramic tiles. Also, some people prefer a more budgetary option - regular painting or, conversely, one of the most expensive options - creating self-leveling floors.
Laminate and parquet are some of the highest quality flooring materials. They are quite durable and can withstand temperature changes very well. These floors look very elegant and do not require any special maintenance. These floors are lighter in weight and warmer than, for example, ceramic tiled floors, making them perfect for a loggia. They can be used both for finishing the threshold between the room and the balcony, and for finishing the entire floor.
There are many other flooring options available. This can be carpet flooring, MDF or chipboard finishing, cork, marmoleum, as well as solid wood flooring. Each option should be selected based on what style you have chosen as a whole for finishing the loggia.
Interesting ideas
The interior decoration of the loggia depends, first of all, on its size. There are many types of interiors that are great for decorating this space. For small loggias, it is better to choose modern corner furniture in warm colors. This way you can create a relaxing corner. An example of such a design is a small corner wardrobe on one side of the room and a corner sofa with a small table on the other side of the balcony.
In addition, you need to functionally occupy the entire area of this small room to the maximum. So, you can install small wall cabinets that will take up very little space or shelves on which you can place flower pots. Plants will bring comfort and freshness to your loggia. An unusual, but very successful idea would be to install furniture of the transformer model, which, if desired, can be easily folded to free up space. You can make the space of a cramped loggia visually wider with the help of wall and floor cladding with light building materials. The walls of the loggia can be decorated with framed pictures or family photos.
For more spacious loggias, you can come up with many interesting design solutions. So, you can install an artificial reservoir, a game table or a treadmill or other exercise machine for outdoor sports. An unusual option would be to divide a large loggia into different functional zones. You can set up a large table with ottomans or armchairs for relaxing with friends, you can put a sofa bed or hang a hammock. The hammock will look very interesting with wicker chairs and a table.
Loggia can be decorated in any style. It can be a loft style with brick-like walls and bright color transitions. It can be a modern style, characterized by a combination of rich tones with calm light shades. You can also decorate a loggia in the Provence style, which is characterized by pastel colors, as well as a touch of romance in the room setting, which can be created using light curtains and pale pink or beige walls. To decorate a loggia in a classic style, it is better to give preference to finishing with natural materials such as stone or wood.
To create a French-style loggia, you can use furniture with the image of delicate flowers, as well as wicker armchairs. In this case, it is better to decorate the walls with romantic paintings or, for example, the image of the Eiffel Tower. You can also use light furniture with an antique effect. It will be very pleasant to be on such a loggia, since such an environment will make it very stylish and cozy.
Step by step instructions: do it yourself
It is not so difficult to decorate the loggia on your own. You need to start by choosing samples of materials for the cladding, as well as determining the exact budget. To do this, you need to calculate on a calculator the cost of all finishing elements of the loggia. In addition, for the balcony of a country house, for a loggia in a country house or in an ordinary five-story building, it is necessary to select the most suitable material, depending on the appearance and cladding of the house as a whole. The balcony must fit into the structure of the house.
The price of the entire loggia will depend on the material from which the external finishing of the balcony is made. After you have decided on all the dimensions and materials, you can proceed to laying the floors and inserting windows if this room is glazed. Then you can already start creating the frame part in the form of a crate.
Before installing the frame, it is necessary to check the quality of the surfaces. There should be no chips, cracks or other deformations on the walls. Such places with flaws will need to be edited and darned with special building materials.
In addition to the quality of the surface of the walls, it is necessary to evaluate their smoothness. It is not false to have dimples and bulges on them. You can check the walls for unevenness using a building level. By applying this tool vertically and horizontally to all walls, you can see all problem areas. If the deviation from the norm is more than one centimeter, such a wall will need to be leveled.
The next step is to create the wireframe. Do not put blocks under such a structure, since they can dry out and fall off. This can lead to the entire structure being unreliable and may even wobble.
After the frame is ready, all its parts must be treated with a special solution that will prevent it from rotting or rusting, as well as the formation of fungus on it. It is very important to do this, since the balcony will be constantly under the influence of sudden changes in temperature. After that, you can already proceed to the insulation of the balcony and its cladding. After you finish it with panels, tiles, clapboard or other materials, you need to leave it for several days, and only then you can use the balcony room and equip it.
