The limited space of the apartment dictates the need for rational use of space, and causes a desire to make every corner habitable and cozy. When repairs in the living rooms, bathroom and kitchen have already been made, the owners begin to think about the 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 with your own hands, which will serve as a place for relaxation and children's games or a study. Today, it is popular to decorate a balcony with PVC panels, wood, drywall, OSB boards, decorative stone and textured plaster. Let's compare the advantages and disadvantages of various types of interior design of the loggia, not forgetting to mention the floor and ceiling finishes.
Requirements for materials for facing the balcony
When it comes to transformation loggias in an additional living space or even about combining it with a room or kitchen, first you need to glaze it, insulate the walls, floor and ceiling from the inside with polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Then the new room must be decorated with suitable materials, which must meet the following requirements:
- moisture resistance;
- durability;
- resistance to ultraviolet and temperature extremes;
- good heat and noise insulation;
- safety;
- ease of maintenance.
Tip: when choosing a material for decorating a loggia, take into account its compatibility with the interior of the room or kitchen with which it is adjacent, especially with partial or complete integration.
PVC panels
Plastic panels are the simplest and most budgetary option for finishing a loggia. With their help, in a short time and with minimal cash 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.
Flaws:
- low resistance to mechanical stress;
- instability to sudden temperature changes - the room must be well insulated from the inside;
- on the sunny side, the plastic burns out quickly, and can also emit an unpleasant odor when heated.
Wooden finish: lining and block house
If you ask a question about how best to sheathe a balcony on one of the construction forums, you will probably be recommended lining - a material that is 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 imitates 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;
- creation of a favorable microclimate;
- high strength;
- attractive and natural appearance;
- pleasant aroma;
- ease of work during installation with your own hands.
Flaws:
- 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 decorate the balcony not with a wooden one, but with a vinyl block house, the weight of which is many times less, and the price is lower. But in this case, it will not have all the positive properties that are inherent in natural wood.
Drywall
The design of a balcony or loggia allows the use of moisture resistant drywall. Finishing the balcony with drywall opens up wide opportunities for decorative design with the help of painting, wallpapering, decorative plaster, 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.
Flaws:
- the need for the highest quality insulation of the balcony in order to avoid damage to the finish;
- reduction in the volume of the room due to the indentation from the wall;
- relatively low resistance to mechanical stress;
- the need for additional finishing.
OSB boards
OSB (OSB, OSB) is roughly a chipboard that can be used as an alternative to drywall or chipboard for interior decoration of a loggia. OSB boards have all the advantages of drywall, but are more durable and not prone to deformation. Another advantage of OSB boards is their versatility: due to their decorative appearance, they can be used as an independent coating, but if necessary, other options for finishing the balcony can also be implemented with them. OSB can be painted, wallpapered, tiled and stoned, and also used as a subfloor.
Advantages of OSB panels:
- low cost;
- light weight;
- high strength;
- fire safety;
- attractive appearance;
- Works well, easy to assemble with your own hands.
Flaws:
- some types of OSB have low moisture resistance;
- the presence of phenol in the composition of the plate is possible (you need to choose plates intended for interior decoration).
Decorative rock
Natural stone has a high cost and a lot of weight, so an artificial decorative stone made of gypsum, acrylic or quartz is usually used to finish the loggia.
Advantages:
- unusual design, luxurious and expensive look;
- high strength, impact resistance;
- durability;
- frost resistance;
- good insulating properties;
- low water absorption;
- good compatibility with other materials;
- richness of colors, textures, shapes and sizes;
- Do-it-yourself stone finishing is not very difficult.
The disadvantage of decorative stone is its high cost compared to other finishing materials.
Decorative plaster
Balcony decoration decorative plaster is an advantageous 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 finishing glazed balconies are fine-grained "fur coat", bark beetle and Venetian plaster.
Advantages:
- the uniqueness of the drawing;
- ease of application;
- resistance to damage;
- undemanding care;
- a huge selection of textures and colors;
- creating the effect of "breathing" walls;
- versatility - combined with any chosen design style;
- possibility of use on an unheated loggia.
If the plaster is correctly selected and applied in compliance with the technology, then such a finish has virtually no drawbacks.
Floor and ceiling finishing
Do-it-yourself loggia decoration also involves work with the floor and ceiling. Like walls, horizontal surfaces must be insulated.
Tip: you can save on floor and ceiling insulation only in one case - if the neighbors above and below have already insulated their balconies.
The most common options for installing a subfloor on a balcony are laying plywood or OSB boards on lags, between which there is a heater, or thin coupler with built-in underfloor heating. As a finishing coating for the floor, you can use:
- linoleum;
- carpet;
- ceramic tiles;
- wooden board;
- waterproof laminate;
- vinyl tiles.
For finishing the ceiling, the same materials are most often used that were used for wall cladding. A false ceiling with built-in lights can be made of plastic panels or moisture-resistant drywall, followed by wallpapering and foam tiles or painting.
