Balcony exterior finish

External decoration of the balcony is one of the important steps in the arrangement of this room, due to which it acquires a finished look and an attractive image from the outside. In this article you can learn what types of exterior finishes exist and how to do the work with your own hands.

Benefits

Thanks to the exterior finish, your balcony gets not only a harmonious and attractive look, but also some additional properties. With this event you will receive a warm room that is protected from the influence of the external environment (temperature drops, rain, snow, etc.).

Also this work provides protection of the base, which consists of plates, from the processes of corrosion and destruction in the reinforced area. Based on this, we can conclude that the exterior of the balcony can increase the service life of the room without major repairs.

If your balcony has a portable type, sheathing will be a mandatory step in the improvement.

Plating methods

To date, five materials are popular, with which most apartment owners trim. Each method has its own advantages and features, which you can find below.

Plastic lining

Plastic is the most popular and affordable material. It is made from polyvinyl chloride with and without stitches. In addition to the attractive price, plastic has a lot of advantages:

good decorative qualities;
wide range of;
ease and efficiency in installation;
plastic has insulating and sound insulation properties;
if one lamella is damaged, you can replace it without disassembling the whole structure.

You can do your own hands with a plastic lining of the balcony, because the material is easy to use. It is possible to get lining with imitation of wood structure.

If we talk about the shortcomings of the material, these include:

short service life, which is about 15 years;
susceptibility to mechanical damage.Lining is easily deformed when reckless installation, so when working with it you need to be very careful. The big plus is that replacing the damaged lamella is not difficult;
a small mass can contribute to the fact that on the balconies, which are located on the upper floors, due to the strong wind sheets of plastic will fall off. For this reason, this material is not recommended to be installed above the 3-4 floors.

Vinyl siding

The basis for this material is polyvinyl chloride with special additives that give it strength. This material has a good ratio of price and quality, so it occupies a leading position among buyers.

Its benefits include:

long service life, which is 25 years;
easy installation and maintenance;
resistance to fading;
resistance to high and low temperature conditions;
vinyl siding is not susceptible to the occurrence of fungal growths, mold and corrosive processes;
wide range of colors.

This material allows you to quickly give the balcony an attractive appearance and not to think about it.appearance for a long time. The disadvantages include overpriced, which can not be called very high.

Metal siding

This material is characterized by a high level of strength for finishing work. In its structure there are several layers. The base is a steel sheet galvanized on both sides, the thickness of which is 0.35-0.65 mm. Sheet also covers the conversion layer, primer and polymeric material. There are perforated sheets, options with all sorts of reliefs and with imitation of the structure of stones, ship's cants and logs.

This type of lining is popular in apartment buildings, because it has many advantages:

attractiveness;
resistance to environmental influences. Due to the fact that the surface is covered with a polymer coating, you do not need to periodically paint the material;
good performance properties, including resistance to temperature extremes, precipitation, sun rays, mechanical stress;
metal siding is fireproof, not prone to mold and mildew, and also does not corrode;
Installation is easy, as there are special locks on the siding sheets.

This material has almost no negative qualities. It should be noted only low thermal insulation quality, because it is metal. The mass of the structure is also more plastic, so not every balcony will be able to cope with the imposed load.

Decking

Profiled is galvanized steel sheets, which are protected with a polymer coating. Due to the corrugated structure, an auxiliary level of strength is provided.

Advantages of sheathing profiled:

long period of use (about 40 years);
aesthetic qualities, a variety of colors;
tightness, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, high level of strength;
resistance to sunlight;
acceptable cost. Sheeting profiled sheeting will be cheaper than metal siding, and performance is almost the same;
ease and efficiency in installation.

Decking is characterized by high thermal conductivity, so you need thermal insulation. This material does not have significant disadvantages, so it is very often used for facing the outside of the balcony.

Wooden wall paneling

Natural wood does not fall into the category of sought-after methods for exterior finishes, because a small price is combined with many negative factors. This refers to the main disadvantages of wood, but modern innovations make it possible to apply special impregnations that improve performance: they provide protection from moisture, rotting, and pests.

Despite this, owners who decide to use this material as a balcony cladding must constantly provide wood with care so that it retains its original appearance for much longer.

Advantages:

attractive appearance;
ecological qualities of wood;
excellent thermal insulation and sound insulation.

Such a variant of covering is hardly suitable for covering a balcony in an apartment building, but for small private constructions it would be appropriate.

Necessary tools to finish the balcony outside

Before you work on the exterior, you will need to prepare the necessary tools. In order to finish the balcony outside, you need:

roulette;
measuring level for construction work;
hacksaw with small teeth in wood and metal;
scissors for working with metal material;
perforator with drills for wood, concrete, metal;
Bulgarian;
screwdriver;
hammers;
staple gun.

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Activities that are associated with facing the outer part of the balcony, always begin with the preparatory work.

You will need:

clean the base of the balcony and remove the railing and the old cover. If required, brew the gaps and strip the joints;
remove rust on the metal portion of the base of the balcony and prime the surface;
eliminate uneven surfaces, level the base with the concrete solution.

Now you can proceed to the installation of the batten on which the material selected for finishing should be fixed.

After you make the exterior finish, you can proceed to the inner lining. You can use for these purposes mineral plaster or drywall. Some owners use siding, wooden lining or even ceramic tiles. It all depends on the interior, which exists in your home and the wishes of the household themselves.

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Security Compliance

It should be borne in mind that all activities on facing the outer part of the balcony will be carried out at a height. Therefore, you should buy equipment to protect yourself.Equipments include equipment for climbing work, special devices that assist in working in hard-to-reach places. Also, such equipment can eliminate the risk to human life.

If you plan to hire specialists, choose a company that has the necessary set of equipment and work experience. As a rule, in each city there are many companies that practice in the field of lining balconies.

If you decide to make your own trim, follow all safety measures, especially if you work at high altitude. Use extreme caution, because any wrong step can have dire consequences. Prudence and attention will be required when using the platform and stepladder. Get an assistant who will help you and insure you during the finishing works.

According to safety regulations, it is required to protect the work area. For this purpose, a special signal tape is sold, a twine with a red cloth. Protect the area from passers-by so that they are not in danger.To carry out the exterior finish without additional equipment can only be the case if you have a parapet from the batten and you are not outside the balcony.