Balcony - what every inhabitant of a high-rise building sees, coming home. If he is neat, handsome, then the mood involuntarily increases. And if the shabby, with the fallen off furnish?
The easiest way to transform a balcony with vinyl siding. The stages of work are the same, so when the house is plastered, you only need to consider a number of points specific to the balconies. Siding - the best option for finishing the balcony, because it weighs a little, and the extra load on the base plate to nothing. Another advantage is the ease of installation, most of the operations can be done by touching and rewinding through the fence practically without having to.
Before work it is better to consult with specialists if the balcony is in an emergency condition. If the plate is warped or crumbles, then any repairs, and simply use the balcony, can not be carried out. This is especially true for old houses.
Accessories and tools
For work you will need a tool:
- drill or perforator, magnetic screwdriver for screwing very easy to work at height,
- metal drill bit,
- metal hacksaw or Bulgarian,
- tape measure and level,
- mounting knife,
- screwdriver,
- fishing line or twine to set the guides, - about 10 m, plumb.
The number of materials is calculated based on the area to be sheathed and the configuration of the balcony. Need to buy:
- proper siding( its standard width is 25 cm) and accessories to it - starting profile, outer and inner corners, joining and finishing strips, j-profile for the window sill,
- for the battens, you need a beam from 60 * 60 mm to 30 *30 mm, metal corners for its assembly,
- galvanized self-tapping screws 19 mm with press cap for fixing all parts,
- depending on the condition of the balcony, cement mortar and metal primer may be required.
The frame of the battens can be welded and made of metal profile, but you will need a welding machine and skills in working with it.
Preparing balcony
The balcony is completely freed from furniture and everything that is stored on it. Removing windows and frames, old plating and decorative plates. If the metal railings in a satisfactory condition, they can be left, if rusted and warped - it is better to cut the Bulgarian under the base.
Cement along the edge and near large cracks is knocked down to strong concrete. The cracks themselves are cemented. It is important that under the balcony at that moment there were no people. If, on the floors below, canopies or air conditioners are installed, large splinters can not be dropped.
If it is decided to leave the grate, it is cleaned of rust by a metal brush installed on the drill and grounded.
Siding frame
The siding frame consists of a top and bottom belt and connecting vertical bridges. If the balcony is sheathed to the full height of the apartment and its glazing is envisaged, then another belt is built at the level where the frames will be installed. For the upper, middle and lower belt, a bar 60 * 60 mm is used, for jumpers - the same cross-section. However, the width of the lower belt should be not less than 80 mm so that it can be fixed on the profile, so 2-3 rows of the bar are joined together.
The prefab beam is drilled into lengths equal to the length of the sides of the balcony. Blanks are impregnated with antiseptic and covered in 2-3 layers of linseed oil or waterproof varnish. If the thickness of the plate is less than 6 cm, then the bars for the lower strapping are stiffened from one side. Between each other the joists are joined by means of screws and metal corners, to the plate are attached to the dowels. To make it easier, if at first to drill holes in the boards, and then already, attaching them to the plate, in the concrete. When fastening the strapping to the grate, use clamps made of wire and self-tapping screws. The voids between the beam and the plate are blown out by the mounting foam.
The upper strap of the piping is fixed in the same way to the balcony above or to the desired height if glazing is not planned. The belts are connected with each other by vertical bridges, fixed with the help of corners and self-tapping screws. The distance between the jumpers should be 40-60 cm. In the corners and near the windows the frequency of the jumpers is increased, since the siding will be fixed there. The beams, located in the corners, are also fastened together by corners.
Under the windows and on top of them you need to install horizontal boards or beams, to which the starting strip will subsequently be attached.
Mounting of the
siding The starting profiles are fastened to the assembled frame, to them angular profiles and a j-bar. Siding is mounted in the same way as with the plating of the house, from the bottom up. The peculiarity is that boards or frame beams can not be thick enough or wide enough to cover the balcony, and holes on the siding will not fall on them. We will have to make additional holes, this can be done with a small grinder. Their size should be sufficient to allow the siding to move freely on the fasteners.
At the final stage, the platbands and the finishing strip are installed. Joints and slots are sealed, between the siding and the crate can be placed insulation - polystyrene or sheets of mineral wool. After finishing the outer skin, you can proceed to the interior decoration of the balcony.
