In modern homes, balconies have ceased to play the role of a storehouse for unnecessary things. Today, this area is used for recreation. Therefore, many try to make this corner more comfortable, beautiful. The easiest way to improve the appearance of the balcony is to use finishing materials, the installation of which is easy to carry out. Modern technologies allow you to perform high-quality finish both indoors and outdoors. In addition, sheathing often plays not only an aesthetic role. It serves as an additional insulating layer.
general information
Currently, there are many decorative materials on sale that can be used for cladding a loggia or balcony. Each of them has its advantages, disadvantages and installation features. Choosing the right material, you should carefully study all the parameters.
First, decide which part of the balcony you want to sheathe - internal or external. And then go to the store or to a specialized market.
The following materials are suitable for decorating the inner walls of a balcony:
- plastic;
- MDF boards;
- drywall;
- lining;
- siding;
- wood.
You can choose any option. But remember: finishing the exterior of the loggia or balcony involves the use of heat-insulating material. In this case, the house will not only change its appearance, but will also keep warm in the winter. For external cladding use siding, MDF, a block house or a lining made of plastic.
The choice of materials for covering the balcony is great. It all depends on the preferences, financial capabilities and taste of the homeowner. Most often, the balcony is decorated with MDF panels. We’ll talk about them today.
MDF panel resembles a fiberboard. But this material is additionally pasted with a laminating film with a pattern. Therefore, a quality-made panel from a finely divided fraction can often be confused with a natural tree.
Sheath preparation
Such an option, as the decoration of the balcony with MDF panels, is preferred by many citizens. Their choice is dictated not only by saving material and money. Another advantage of this method of arranging a balcony is the ease of installation of the material. This process is very similar to lining the walls. In addition, this material allows you to hide bumps on the walls.
We can not say about another advantage of this method. We are talking about the fact that a person gets the opportunity to decorate the MDF balcony with do-it-yourself panels. To do this, you will need the following tools:
- Hacksaw, hammer, drill, construction knife, pliers, screwdriver.
- Dowels, nails, screws, staples.
- Corners.
- Wooden slats.
- Glue.
- Thermal insulation material.
Preparatory work
Before proceeding with the decoration of the MDF balcony with panels, you should correctly prepare the loggia. This process consists of several stages.
- Completely empty the room.
- Inspect the walls for holes, crevices, holes and other flaws. They close up with foam, cement mortar or a simple putty. This procedure is necessary to prevent the ingress of excess moisture, dust, wind or rainwater.
- If traces of mold are present on the walls, they must be removed. The room is treated with a solution of fungus using a spray.
- To warm the structure, hydro and thermal insulation materials are installed on the balcony.
- The panels are installed in a convenient way: on the frame, on glue.
Mounting MDF panels on the frame
We put things in order on the balcony (loggia). What's next? It is necessary to install the panels on the frame. To do this, perform the following steps:
1. Measure the area of the walls, windows and doors of the balcony. You need to purchase the right amount of material in advance.
2. Build the frame.
3. We fix the plates on the finished crate. We begin to carry out the work from the corner, moving horizontally. The panel must be placed so that the protruding part is directed towards the corner. The distance from the perpendicular wall should be about 3 mm.
4. Using the same principle, we fix the second panel. Using screws and spikes we fix the panel. Between the two plates we insert a corner into the grooves.
5. Take the next plate. We put on a bracket on it, we fix it well to the crate with nails.
6. On the other hand, we use self-tapping screws as a fastener.
7. Using the same principle, we install all MDF boards. Now you can fix skirting boards and platbands with building glue. We put it on the back of the part with a snake.
8. We hide the joints that could have formed during the installation of the panel boards with a plastic profile and battens.
In our article you can see a lot of photos of the decoration of the balcony with MDF panels. They confirm that the room has an attractive appearance after the repair work. Here you can arrange an excellent corner for relaxation and romantic dinners.
How to build a crate?
The result of repair work to a greater extent depends on the quality of manufacture of the frame. Experts say that there are several options for collecting the frame. Often the differences are in the choice of material for creating the crate. Most often, wood or metal profiles are used.
For balconies sheathed previously with insulation, an independent frame is most often used. It does not require mounting directly to the wall.
Metal carcass
Suppose a tree does not suit you. You decided to build a metal frame. The following are important guidelines:
- We prepare the necessary tools: scissors, screwdriver, puncher, construction corner and level, kapron thread, cutter, dowels, plumb.
- Focusing on the windows, we mark the walls. At the junction of lines and in the corners we fix the dowel. We attach a plumb line to the screws, we place the wall vertically.
- We fix the profile along the perimeter, focusing on the markup.
- For door and window openings we mount vertical elements of the lathing.
- Focusing on the windows, align the metal profile.
- The cutter fixes the construction on both sides.
- We make a horizontal belt of the frame, to which the panels will be attached in the future. We fix the notch. We make sure that the distance between the belts is about 50 cm.
- If there are batteries on the loggia or balcony, they must be covered with a decorative grill.
- All profile elements are securely fixed with corners or straight suspensions.
Wood frame
Most people still make wood frames. First you need to prepare wooden beams 0.5 x 0.5 cm. This material does not need an additional amplifier, can withstand heavy loads. As a fastening element for this design, dowels are used.
The installation of the wood frame is carried out according to the same principle as the installation of the metal crate. Fasteners - angles, screws or grooves in the bars.
Installation of MDF panels on glue
Do you have no time? You for one reason or another can not build a good crate? Pay attention to the photo of the MDF paneling inside the balcony. This mounting method is simple and effective. Indeed, in this case, liquid nails are used.
Work sequence:
- Prepare the room. We clear the walls of plaster, wallpaper. Not sure how to quickly complete this task? It is enough just to tap the surface of the wall with a hammer. So the old coating can be quickly removed.
- The surface of the wall is treated with cement-sand mortar. We pay special attention to places with flaws.
- Treated surfaces must be left alone for several days until the walls are completely dry.
- Take the roller. We apply a primer to the surface of the wall. After drying, you can begin to finish the wall with putty.
- We install MDF boards according to the same principle as in the previous method (from the corner). On the back side of the panel we apply building glue, press it against the wall. Excess glue can be removed with a knife.
Using this method of fixing MDF panels allows you to save the appearance of the material. After all, the integrity of the surface will not be violated, and the heads of nails or screws will be almost invisible.
Finish cost
Many would like to know how much it costs to finish a balcony with MDF panels. It all depends on the total amount of materials that will be needed to carry out repair work.
The average width of the standard balcony is 90 cm, and the length is 3 m. Based on these parameters, we can assume that we will need about 30 m of 40 x 40 bar and 3.2 m of 40 x 70 bar.
We calculate the required number of panels: 2.6 x 0.25 m. We need 14 pieces.
Fasteners can always be found at home.
Currently, the cost of building materials is unstable. Therefore, you can independently calculate the approximate amount that is needed to repair the balcony. Some will have to spend 5,000 rubles, while others - 2-3 times more. Everything is individual here.
Expert Advice
For those who decide to finish the interior of the balcony with MDF panels, information from experts will be useful. After all, there are some nuances of work, which can only be found out during the installation process.
Walls and ceiling need preliminary cleaning and leveling. To do this, you can use sheets of drywall with a water-repellent effect. To prevent distortions, the first panels must be especially carefully aligned.
The installation order of the elements is not important. You can begin to install from both the walls and the ceiling.
When choosing a material, you should pay attention to the pattern on the panels. It should look harmonious with the overall interior of the balcony.
Reviews
Is it worth it to spend time and money on decorating a balcony with MDF panels? Testimonials from others will help make the right conclusion. Does the color fade in the sun? Does it absorb the condensation that often forms on the windows? How quickly does the surface of MDF panels get dirty? The answers to these questions are of interest to many citizens.
Many reviews of the interior decoration of the MDF balcony with panels claim that this material copes with these problems with a bang.
Talk about condensate. Do you have a good double-glazed window on your balcony? Then there can be no condensation on the windows. If the problem is with glasses, then experts recommend using waterproof MDF.
Direct sunlight will not be a problem for this material. The main thing is to install windows with a special double-glazed window that does not let in ultraviolet rays.
About pollution. Any surface gets dirty over time. But MDF panels are easy to clean from dust and dirt. A 10% solution of vinegar will do just fine with this task.
Output
Finishing the balcony with MDF panels has practically no drawbacks. This explains the popularity of this finishing material. Affordable price, durability, strength, moisture resistance, low heat conductivity, easy installation - all this makes the finely dispersed fraction panels an ideal material for lining loggias and balconies.