Finishing the balcony and loggia with siding

A balcony in an apartment can cause a cold and a lack of a comfortable atmosphere, so many apartment owners want to rectify the situation. In this case, cladding the loggia with siding can help.

Siding is a type of finishing material, which is represented by panels of vinyl, plastic or metal. It has found its application in wall cladding inside and outside buildings. Durability as well as affordable cost is inherent in this inexpensive building product, so it is especially relevant for outdoor use.

Balcony siding has a number of advantages:

• resistance to fungus, mold, moisture;

• no need for the production of a protective layer;

• under the influence of temperature, deformation and cracking do not occur;

• strength and electrical inertia;

• lack of reaction during contact with liquid;

• the service life of the coating is about 20 years;

• lack of release of toxic substances;

• a wide range of products;

• simplicity and speed of installation.

In addition to the above advantages of the material, consumers note several disadvantages:

• due to the influence of high temperature, the siding burns out, fades;

• the coating cannot be repaired, damaged areas will have to be replaced with new ones;

• despite its incombustibility, the material can melt.

The main reasons for cladding a balcony with siding are:

• the ability to create a continuous coating that can protect the internal environment of the loggia;

• protect the structure from adverse weather conditions;

• insulation of the balcony;

• decorative transformation of the loggia.

Each facade finishing material must meet certain requirements. It must be resistant to external influences, ultraviolet light, and also be moisture resistant. Such characteristics are inherent in vinyl and metal siding. Many craftsmen prefer the vinyl version.

Features of the metallic look of the material:

• when in contact with sharp objects, scratches may remain on the coating, they cause corrosion processes after getting wet;

• due to the large weight of the products, the load on the structure may increase;

• able to fade in the sun;

• the panels may get wrinkled during transport.

Compared to the previous type of siding, the vinyl version has the following advantages:

• when scratches appear in the material, the quality characteristics do not change;

• the panels are lightweight;

• painted products are practically not affected by sunlight;

• in the event of deformation, the siding can quickly return to its original shape.

In addition to a large number of advantages, experts also note disadvantages. For example, vinyl panels must not be painted. At the time of melting, such siding releases toxic substances that have a detrimental effect on human health, which cannot be said about the metal version. Therefore, the latter in this case is preferable to vinyl.

If you want to sheathe the loggia with siding, the master must choose the right color for it.

In addition, when purchasing vinyl products, it is worth looking at how uniform the thickness of the panels is. Experts advise to bend the panel a little, and thereby check its plasticity.

In order for the master to be able to sheathe the balcony with siding, he will need to prepare the following inventory:

• roulette;

• level;

• screwdriver;

• drill;

• special knife;

• drill brush;

• a nozzle on the base of a magnet for tightening self-tapping screws;

• fishing line, twine.

If the work will be carried out using standard self-tapping screws, then you will need to prepare a 2 mm drill. This avoids the loss of fasteners during operation.

In addition to tools, the builder will need quality materials.

• Siding. The amount of material should be calculated individually in each specific case, while taking into account the dimensions of the loggia. According to professionals, it is worth taking a quarter more siding for cladding.

• Internal and external corners. Thanks to these devices, the side joints will be closed.

• Siding strips, thanks to which the sheets of material will be connected to each other.

• Bars made of wood, 40x40 mm in size. They make a crate.

Before starting the installation of siding panels on the balcony, the master should complete the preparatory measures.

1. Cleaning the loggia from debris, paint. Checking the condition of all components of the structure. If defects are found, it is recommended to start filling cracks, strengthening the floor.

2. In the event of serious damage to the balcony, a wooden crate is mounted on the slab and poured with cement.

3. The old paint coating is removed along the balcony perimeter of the metal crate. After that, it is painted again.

The above works can be done in a short period. At the end of the preparatory work, as well as the drying of the painted areas, the master can start finishing the room.

To qualitatively sheathe the loggia with siding from the inside and outside of the building with your own hands, you will need to follow the step-by-step instructions. To finish the balcony, and to carry out high-quality cladding on their own, the master will need to carry out several important stages, which include the preparation of inventory, the working area, as well as the installation of the lathing. The installation of siding slabs can be done by yourself, or you can hire a team of craftsmen. At the same time, each employee should remember that only good material and high-quality hardware should be fastened.

From the outside, the installation of the lathing on the loggia should be carried out on a prepared surface in advance. In this case, it will be necessary to horizontally and vertically install the bars, on which the siding slabs will subsequently be fixed. First of all, it is worth fixing the horizontal components, and after that the vertical ones.

The horizontal bar is mounted to the balcony slab with metal corners and dowels. The bars are fastened to each other using self-tapping screws.

Installation of the horizontal upper belt is carried out as follows:

• measure the height of the siding installation from the slab on the balcony;

• using the building level, they make the markings necessary to fix the beams;

• select products with the required length according to the parapet perimeter;

• the bar is mounted to the parapet with special hardware.

Completion of the above works gives the master the opportunity to proceed with the installation of the side battens of the crate. In this case, the step should be about 50 cm. At the joints, it is required to install a pair of strips, thus reliably fixing the material. External corners can be formed with L-shaped profiles.

After the work with the lathing is completed, you can begin the phased installation of the siding.

1. On the lower strapping with hardware, you need to fix the starting bar.

2. Siding panels are measured and trimmed as needed. When forming the outer skin, it is necessary to create a 5 mm gap. This margin is required for the thermal expansion of the siding. If you ignore this moment, the panels may bend.

3. Install siding panels. The latter must be brought over the crate and inserted into the corner profiles. Fasteners should not be clamped too tightly so that the material does not completely deteriorate. Each of the panels will need to be installed in a joint to the previous one.

4. An end strip is fixed on top of the panels. This stage in the external siding of the balcony is considered the last.

For the interior decoration of the balcony with siding panels, a scheme is used that is similar to the one described above:

• floors should be cleaned of the previous coating, then they are restored;

• crate is made of beams;

• in the second section, a starting bar is mounted, and all the following products are already mounted to it;

• complete the workflow by installing the end strip.

Siding panels on the balcony can be installed quite quickly. Unlike work on the outer part of the loggia, a person does not need to stock up on safety equipment.

To speed up and improve the quality of work on cladding a balcony with siding, the master should heed the following recommendations:

• before starting the work process, make sure that the loggia is not skewed;

• do not fix large cracks in the structure yourself;

• do not use a metal profile for the external lathing;

• before starting work, it is worth recalculating the amount of material, it should be enough and even with a margin.

Catching up on self-covering the balcony, some craftsmen make mistakes. The latter include the use of non-galvanized hardware, tight fixation of panels with self-tapping screws, reluctance to form allowances for thermal expansion. If you make the listed mistakes, then the siding cladding will not last long.

For finishing the balcony and loggia with siding, see the video below.