Balcony Interior: Options

The limited space of the apartment dictates the need for rational use of the area, and causes a desire to make every corner habitable and cozy. When the repair in the living rooms, bathroom and kitchen is already done, the owners begin to think about options for interior decoration of the balcony or loggia. With the right approach, this part of the apartment can be turned into a full-fledged living room, which will serve as a place for relaxation and children's games or a study. Today, the decoration of the balcony with PVC panels, wood, drywall, OSB plates, decorative stone and textured plaster. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of various types of interior design of the loggia, not forgetting to mention the decoration of the floor and ceiling.

Material Requirements for Balcony Cladding

When it comes to turning

loggias in an additional living room or even about combining it with a room or kitchen, to start it it is necessary to glaze, insulate the walls, floor and ceiling from the inside with polystyrene foam, polystyrene or mineral cotton. Then the new room must be decorated with suitable materials that must meet the following requirements:

• moisture resistance;
• durability;
• resistance to ultraviolet and temperature extremes;
• good heat and sound insulation;
• security;
• ease of care.

Tip: when choosing the material for the design of the loggia, take into account its compatibility with the interior of the room or kitchen with which it is adjacent, especially with partial or full integration.

PVC panels

Plastic panels are the easiest and most cost-effective option for finishing the loggia. With their help, in a short time and with minimal money costs, you can give the room a neat and aesthetic appearance.

Advantages of plastic panels:

• the main plus is the low price;
• ease of installation;
• a large selection of colors, including imitation of natural materials (wood, stone);
• exceptional ease of care;
• high rates of sound and heat insulation.

Disadvantages:

• low resistance to mechanical stress;
• instability to sharp temperature changes - the room should be well insulated from the inside;
• on the sunny side, the plastic quickly burns out, and can also emit an unpleasant odor when heated.

Wood finish: wall paneling and block house

If you ask a question about what is better to sheathe a balcony in one of the construction forums, you will probably be advised lining - a material that represents slats of various widths from different types of wood. The popularity of lining is explained by an extensive list of advantages that this natural material possesses.

If you are a supporter of environmental friendliness, but the appearance of the lining has become boring to you in the country, you can pay attention to the classic block house. This material is a wooden panel that simulates a log house and gives the room an incomparable rustic flavor.

Advantages of wood paneling:

• environmental friendliness;
• excellent sound and heat insulation properties;
• easy cleaning;
• creating a favorable microclimate;
• high strength;
• attractive and natural appearance;
• pleasant aroma;
• the simplicity of the installation work with your own hands.

Disadvantages:

• the need for regular care;
• the need for protection with the help of special impregnations, varnishes and antifungal compounds.

To reduce the load on the walls and ceiling, you can design a balcony not with wood, but with a vinyl block house, the weight of which is many times less and the price is lower. But in this case, he will not have all the positive properties that are inherent in a natural tree.

Drywall

The design of the balcony or loggia allows the use of moisture resistant drywall. Drying the balcony with plasterboard opens up great opportunities for decorative design using painting, wallpapering, decorative plastering, tiling or stone.

Advantages:

• affordable price;
• light weight;
• leveling the surface with any flaws;
• ease of installation;
• the ability to create structures of any shape, multi-level ceilings, as well as use built-in lights;
• under the finish, you can hide heat-insulating materials, electrical wiring.

Disadvantages:

• the need for maximum quality insulation of the balcony in order to avoid damage to the finish;
• decrease in the volume of the room due to the indent from the wall;
• relatively low resistance to mechanical stress;
• need for additional finishing.

OSB plates

OSB (OSB, OSB) - tentatively particle board, which can be used as an alternative to drywall or chipboard for interior decoration of the loggia. OSB plates have all the advantages of drywall, but are more durable and not subject to deformation. Another advantage of OSB boards is their versatility: due to their decorative appearance they can used as an independent coating, but if necessary, other options can be implemented with them finishing the balcony. OSB can be painted, wallpapered, tiled with stone and stone, and also used as a rough floor.

Advantages of OSB panels:

• low cost;
• light weight;
• high strength;
• fire safety;
• attractive appearance;
• It lends itself well to processing, easy to assemble with your own hands

Disadvantages:

• some types of OSB have low moisture resistance;
• phenol may be present in the composition of the plate (you need to choose plates intended for interior decoration).

Decorative rock

Natural stone has a high cost and high weight, therefore, for the decoration of the loggia is usually used artificial decorative stone made of plaster, acrylic or quartz.

Advantages:

• unusual design, luxurious and expensive look;
• high strength, shock resistance;
• durability;
• frost resistance;
• good insulating properties;
• low water absorption;
• good compatibility with other materials;
• a wealth of colors, textures, shapes and sizes;
• DIY stone decoration is not very difficult.

The disadvantage of decorative stone is its high cost compared to other finishing materials.

Decorative plaster

Balcony decoration decorative plaster - This is a profitable combination of aesthetics, durability and practicality. The variety of types of plaster allows you to choose any texture and method of decorating the walls. The most popular when decorating glazed balconies are fine-grained "fur coats", bark beetle and Venetian plaster.

Advantages:

• uniqueness of the picture;
• ease of application;
• resistance to damage;
• undemanding care;
• a huge selection of textures and colors;
• creating the effect of "breathing" walls;
• universality - combined with any chosen design style;
• the possibility of using an unheated loggia.

If the plaster is correctly selected and applied in compliance with the technology, then this finish has virtually no drawbacks.

Floor and ceiling finishes

DIY loggia decoration also involves working with floor and ceiling. Like walls, horizontal surfaces must be insulated.

Tip: you can save on insulation of the floor and ceiling in only one case - if the neighbors at the top and bottom have already insulated their balconies.

The most common options for installing the subfloor on the balcony are laying plywood or OSB boards on lagsbetween which there is a heater, or thin screed with integrated underfloor heating. As a topcoat for the floor you can use:

• linoleum;
• carpet;
• ceramic tile;
• a wooden board;
• waterproof laminate;
• vinyl tile.

For the decoration of the ceiling, the same materials that were used for wall cladding are most often used. False ceiling with built-in lights can be made of plastic panels or moisture-proof drywall, followed by wallpapering and foam tile or painting.