The balcony space can be used not only as a storage room, but also as an additional area, due to which the living room increases. To do this, you need to redevelop the apartment.
Joining a balcony to a room can be done in several ways. The complexity of upcoming work and the possibility of designing a space depends on the option you choose. A significant role is played by the design features of your home. About all the nuances of redevelopment and the options for using the balcony, we talked about in our article.
How can I use a balcony?
A balcony or a loggia can be combined with any room, whether it be a kitchen, living room or bedroom. Additional square meters can be used as a place for eating or installing a refrigerator, which very often does not fit into small kitchens.
Often a balcony is used as a dining room. This approach expands the possibilities of designing the hostess's working area, as the space is freed from the dining table.
Joining the balcony to the living room type allows you to expand the space, equip it with an extra bed, install a folding sofa for relaxing or a desktop with office equipment.
The presence of a balcony in the bedroom will allow you to acquire a cozy boudoir, wardrobe or simply equip a sitting area on a soft sofa. If your apartment is characterized by a modest area, use the balcony to delimit the space. Install a lightweight partition between the loggia and the room or hang a curtain. So you get two zones for different purposes.
How can I combine a balcony with a room?
Building codes subdivide all rooms into two types: cold and warm. When deciding to combine two different rooms, you deviate from the standard, which in some cases requires obtaining permits. However, appeal to state authorities is not always required. It depends on the redevelopment method you choose.
There are two ways to connect a balcony to a room:
- without dismantling the dividing wall;
- with full removal of the windowsill and part of the facade of the house.
The first method is used in cases where you do not set out to expand the room, but only want to ennoble free space. In this case, the balcony is simply glazed, insulated and decorated in the way you choose.
During the work, only the door and window unit are dismantled. Such work does not violate the integrity of the facade of the building, therefore, obtaining permission from the relevant authorities is not required.
If you want to completely connect the balcony to the room, remove the structures that separate the loggia and the living room, you will have to draw up a redevelopment project, coordinate it in the BTI and get permission to work.
Just note that this process takes a lot of time and money from the owners of the apartment, so most of them do not draw up the necessary documentation. What threatens them for such actions?
Illegal joining of the balcony to the room with the removal of part of the facade remains invisible until there is a need to sell the property, transfer it to the inheritance and to execute any documents with the apartment. At this stage, you will not be able to draw up a contract of sale or gift, as the layout of the apartment will not correspond to the plan.
Also, problems can arise if one of the neighbors writes a complaint about illegal redevelopment to a house management company. In this case, an inspection will come to the owners, which ascertains the fact of redevelopment, fines and administrative penalties will follow.
If, as a result of the work, the neighbors begin to freeze the floors or ceiling, they can sue for illegal alteration of the building’s architecture. In this case, the owners will be obliged to compensate the victims for the cost of repairs and return the wall to its proper place.
Nuances to consider when applying for a permit
Thinking about redevelopment of an apartment, pay attention to the fact that you have a much greater chance of getting permission if you live in a monolithic building or a brick structure. Particular difficulties with paperwork arise for residents of panel houses. In p44t-type buildings, joining a balcony to a room is prohibited for security reasons. The window unit in such buildings may be part of the load-bearing wall.
Also, difficulties can arise in the process of dismantling the threshold between the room and the loggia. In panel houses, this element serves as a fixture for a balcony slab, so its absence can adversely affect the entire building. Walls may begin to freeze, condensation will accumulate on them and mold will form. In brick high-rise buildings, this is a little easier, but permission to issue is also necessary.
How to legalize redevelopment of an apartment?
When considering applications for redevelopment of an apartment, government bodies do not always take the side of the applicant. Therefore, in order to combine the balcony with the room, prepare all the necessary documents in advance.
First of all, you need to draw up a draft of the changes made. It can be made independently or ordered in the relevant organizations. When the plan is in your hands, follow these steps:
- Visit BTI. When contacting the bureau, you need to write a statement stating that you want to make changes to the technical plan of the apartment. Experts will consider your project, analyze the likelihood of the negative impact of the restructuring on the building. If there is no possibility of negative factors, your application will be approved.
- If the approval of joining the balcony to the room is successful, order a technical passport for the living room from BTI.
- Next, you need to contact the sanitary-epidemiological service, which also must issue a permit for restructuring.
When two positive answers are received, head to the housing inspectorate. A whole package of documents should be provided there, including:
- technical passport for the apartment (which you were given in the BTI);
- redevelopment application;
- documents for the apartment where you are indicated as the owner;
- redevelopment project (with permission from the above authorities);
- written consent to the redevelopment of all adult family members;
- certificates that your house is not a historical object, a cultural monument.
This list may be supplemented by other documents. Pre-check the information in the housing inspection of your city.
Having received positive answers in all instances, you can begin to equip the balcony, combined with the room. At the end of the work, you will need to re-apply to the housing inspectorate so that their specialists evaluate the quality of the work and exclude the negative impact of the reconstruction on the building.
After the assessment, you will be issued an act that will indicate the completion of the redevelopment of housing.
Budgeting, costing
At the initial stage, immediately determine the materials that you will use in the repair process. Make a design project and cost estimate. Measure the area of the entire room, approximately calculate how much material you will need for repairs.
If the balcony does not have glazing, put its value in the estimate. For residents of the middle part of Russia, window blocks with a three-chamber double-glazed window are quite enough. If you live in one of the northern regions, use systems with thicker glass and three profiles.
Also consider the costs of attracting specialists. You may need the help of experienced craftsmen during the insulation of the balcony from the outside, the dismantling of part of the load-bearing wall, and the installation of underfloor heating systems.
The basic estimate will consist of the following items:
- glazing of the balcony;
- dismantling work;
- laying of the cable, arrangement of outlets;
- materials for warming the room;
- work on insulation of the balcony;
- purchase of finishing materials;
- the implementation of the surface finish;
- purchase of new furniture.
Pay special attention to electrics. Most often, electric wiring is not provided on the balconies, which necessitates the involvement of appropriate specialists.
You must also take into account the cost of drafting the project and state fees for issuing all the necessary permits.
Where do the work begin?
Redevelopment of the apartment begins with dismantling. Depending on what design of the room with a balcony you have chosen, start removing the balcony block. If you are not going to dismantle the stove under the windowsill and the threshold, simply remove the double-glazed windows and the door to the balcony. After that, you can begin the design of the opening and insulation of a cold room.
If the work is planned global, then you have to choose a company to join the balcony to the room, since it will be very difficult to do the work yourself. Particular work will require the dismantling of the windowsill in a panel house, since such walls need only be cut with diamond blades.
In brick buildings, piers can be removed independently. To do this, do the following:
- Remove the balcony block. If you have PVC systems, carefully remove the double-glazed windows, unscrew the anchors from the inside of the frame. After that, use the mount to dismantle the frame.
- In houses with wooden frames, glass is first taken out, after which the box breaks out with a puncher.
- Get rid of the nut. It is broken with a jackhammer or a perforator with a thick chisel.
When the demolition work is completed, remove all debris and assess the condition of the screed in the room and the stove on the balcony. If they have a large number of cracks, surface repair is required. In this case, you can fill in a new screed or cover the base with a self-leveling mixture.
Stage Two: Space Warming
The balcony connected to the room looks very extraordinary and attractive, but such decoration can significantly lower the temperature in the room. To avoid this, pay due attention to the arrangement of thermal insulation.
Install reliable double-glazed windows first. Next, pay attention to the condition of the balconies of the neighbors above and below. If their loggias are not glazed, you will have to insulate not only the walls, but also the floor with the ceiling.
If you perform the work of joining the balcony to the room and warming yourself, choose fireproof and reliable materials. Mineral wool and expanded polystyrene boards are excellent for arranging thermal insulation from the outside. They are fixed on a metal frame and covered with siding.
For internal work, you can use the following materials:
- penoplex;
- mineral wool;
- Cork tree;
- Styrofoam;
- fiberglass plates.
Internal insulation begins with the arrangement of vapor barrier. After collecting the crate from wooden battens or metal profiles. Between the rails of the frame set the selected insulation material. If you prefer tiled products, fill all joints and seams with foam. In this way, sheathe all the walls and ceiling.
To insulate the floor, you can use all the same materials. The work boils down to the fact that along the balcony, wooden beams are fixed. Between them, thermal insulation is laid. Above the beams lay a floorboard or plywood. In the latter case, the arrangement of the finishing flooring is required.
If you plan to install a warm floor system, place OSB boards on top of the lag, cover them with reflective film. Glue the joints of plates and walls with foil tape. Place infrared film or heating mats on the base. Place flooring on top of the system.
Finishing space - the final stage in combining a balcony with living rooms
Just removing the wall between the room and the balcony is not enough, the rooms need to be connected visually. This can be done with thoughtful design.
The design of a room with a balcony depends on the purpose of the space. The materials used in the decoration should be well combined with each other, suitable for the general interior.
Use plaster, natural stone, wood, liquid and paper wallpapers. If you combine a balcony and a kitchen, the decoration must withstand high humidity, temperature extremes. The materials for the dining room should be well cleaned of dust and greasy dirt.
When designing an interior for a room with a large number of windows, focus on lighting design. With plenty of daylight, glossy, glass and mirror surfaces look great.
If you combined a balcony with a room in order to increase the space, try not to overload the room with furniture. Make the interior light and bright. For the bedroom, it will be appropriate to use air curtains or partitions, which, if necessary, will prevent the penetration of a large amount of light into the relaxation area.
In cases where you do not plan to combine space into one room, create visual borders. Here you can perform zoning using lighting devices, color differences in the finishing materials.
The balcony combined with the room for children can be slightly separated from the main space by raising the floor level. Using a small step, the boundary between the two zones is indicated, which is especially true if there are two children.
You can delimit space using an arch or a portal. This method is especially suitable in situations where permission to dismantle the wall was not obtained. In this case, the concrete part of the facade of the building is enclosed in a figured arch design, supplemented with through niches, lighting fixtures and glass decor.
Ideas for combining different rooms and a balcony
A room with a glazed balcony in itself looks very attractive, and if you successfully choose the interior, then the combined space can be the subject of delight for all guests.
Since the loggias in modern houses are located near different rooms, we will consider options for space for each of them:
- Balcony-bedroom. If you have a miniature bedroom with a balcony, use the extra squares to create a modern interior. Install a bed with bedside tables in the main area, and arrange a sitting area on the balcony with a small sofa. Complete the interior with bookshelves, elegant lamps and modern glass curtains. If the sun shines most of the day, provide light curtains on each window.
- Balcony-kitchen. Combining a balcony and a kitchen, two design options can be considered. In the first, the loggia is used as a dining room, and in the second - as a cooking zone. If the dining table does not fit on the balcony, use folding varieties. On one of the walls, place a TV or shelves with kitchen utensils. Take a refrigerator or a few nightstands from the kitchen to the balcony, and the amount of free space in the kitchen will pleasantly surprise you.
- Balcony-living room. Photos of the balcony, combined with a room for receiving guests, demonstrate the successful design of a space for a study and a place for fun gatherings with friends. If you do not have enough main space, place a balcony under the training area on the simulator, as a place for your favorite hobby or a space for relaxation with your favorite book.
- Balcony for children. When decorating a children's room, the balcony most often acts as a working area. At the same time, a lot of free space is freed up in the room, where you can equip a sports corner or a zone for games of the youngest family members.
Whatever room you expand by combining with a balcony, try to adhere to approximately one style of decoration. You can focus on different colors, but the direction should be the same. Otherwise, the interior may cause a feeling of chaos.
Joining a balcony to a room: photos of designs and useful tips
When drawing up the design of the future premises, pay attention to the fact that state standards categorically prohibit the transfer of heating radiators to the balcony. Such actions will lead to a decrease in pressure in the heating system, which can lead to fines and other troubles.
To prevent a room with a balcony and a window from becoming the coldest place in the house, place the battery on an adjacent wall. Arrangement of underfloor heating will be a good idea, however, there is also a certain rule here: you cannot take heavy systems with water carrier onto the balcony. In such situations, it is better to give preference to electric varieties.
Also note that it is not recommended to take the sink and stove to the balcony. If there is gas in the apartment, this will require additional time for you to obtain permission in the gas service. In most cases, such a change in multi-unit buildings is prohibited.
If the design of your house does not allow the dismantling of the wall, place it under a functional piece of furniture. It can serve as a solid bar, computer table or stand for an aquarium.
The design of the balcony, combined with the room, can be absolutely anything. If you supplement the wall with a curly structure made of drywall, you can get an excellent shelf, a niche with light or a stand for living plants.
To summarize
Combining a balcony with a living room is a great way to enlarge a small space and acquire the missing square meters. In addition, the dismantling of the balcony block allows you to make the room much brighter.
If the space is too small, discard the curtains on the balcony, decorate the room in bright colors. As for interior styles, minimalism is best suited for small rooms. Free walls and shelves from a large amount of decor, place compact and functional cabinets and niches in the room.
The design of the living room and balcony should be based on a competent arrangement of lighting fixtures. In rooms of a small area, darkened corners should not be allowed.
Use glossy surfaces, mirrors and glass. They visually pushed the edges of space, and the sunlight coming through the balcony windows will refresh the room and add coziness to the interior.
When planning a redevelopment of a room, do not forget about security. If you have to work with load-bearing walls, contact a specialist, as improper actions can lead to tragic consequences. In all other cases, you can act independently, with the support of family members and instructions from our article.