Provence style balcony: finishing options and step-by-step instructions for performing work

Provence style balcony or loggia design is becoming fashionable among our compatriots. They are attracted by discreet grace, French simplicity, natural finishing materials and the presence of vintage elements.

There are no special restrictions on the color range, although preference is given to light natural tones. The most commonly used tones are white, terracotta, lavender and olive. Any color must be diluted with white; designers do not use solid, saturated shades.

Materials for finishing the balcony

1. Walls . Natural clapboard of light wood species, external topcoat only with transparent varnishes.

   

   Natural lining

   Plastering is allowed, but without leveling the surface, it is better to use decorative textured plaster.

   

   Textured plaster

   If possible, it is recommended to paint the walls with drawings on rustic or marine motives. Wallpapering is not encouraged, but, as a last resort, it is allowed.

   The color requirement for wallpaper is the same.

   

   Simple Provence style wallpaper

2. Floors. Only natural lumber or expressive ceramic tiles with natural stone imitation.

   

   Natural stone floor tiles

   It is desirable that there are rather large gaps between the floorboards, as in old village houses.

   

   An example of a wooden floor that matches the Provence style

3. Ceiling .

   Only made of wood, decorative beams can be used to give realism. They are fixed on the front side of the ceiling and serve as elements of the original decor.

   

   Decorative beams

4. Windows. Preferably with wooden frames or plastic with good imitation wood. Curtains are the simplest, no frills and various modern mechanical devices.

   

   Window frames with imitation wood

5. Furniture. The simpler the better. No lacquered tabletops, soft armchairs or sofas. The front side of the boards can be planed, but the back cannot. This style emphasizes the real rustic simplicity of the room.

   Instead of chairs - benches, you can put some pieces of furniture from forged elements.

   

   Forged furniture perfectly emphasizes the Provence style

Here is a brief description of the style. The result is more natural objects and materials and a complete lack of the achievements of modern building technologies. But this applies to the visible part of the cladding, you can use the most modern materials for insulation and waterproofing. They will help maintain optimal microclimate values, reduce heating losses, and increase the service life of architectural structures.

Step-by-step instructions for finishing balconies and loggias in the Provence style will be considered using the example of the maximum use of lumber: floors and ceilings from planed boards, walls from natural lining. Keep in mind that warm glazing has already been installed.

Prices for natural boarding

Natural boarding

Surface preparation

Due to the fact that lumber finishing is done only on the lathing, there is no need to level the balcony surfaces. The only caveat is to check the condition of the reinforced concrete slab. The fact is that the load on it will increase significantly and one must be confident in its carrying capabilities.

And one more important condition - be sure to cover all visible parts of the reinforcement with plaster. This must be done on all surfaces of the plate. The strengthening of the parapets must be done during the preparation for glazing, this step is not necessary to consider.

Counting the number of materials and selection of tools

Calculate the area of ​​the ceiling, floor and side surfaces.

You need to buy slats approximately 20 * 30 mm in size, fastened at a distance of approximately 50 cm.

This parameter is needed when calculating running meters of material. For the floor, more durable joists are needed, the size is about 30 * 40 mm.

Buy lining and board with a margin of about 5-8%, there will not be a lot of waste. Be sure to take into account the length of the lumber, a wide selection of sizes will make it possible to select them in such a way that the amount of non-productive waste will tend to zero.

Boards, lining and slats are strongly recommended to be impregnated with antiseptics.

For finishing you will need varnish, the floor is covered with especially strong stamps.

The boards can be fastened with studs or self-tapping screws about 2 cm long, the lathing is fixed with dowels of appropriate sizes.

Insulation can be done with pressed mineral wool, if this is an expensive option for you, then use foam. Just be sure to buy non-flammable and approved for indoor use.

From the tools, prepare a drill with a perforator, an electric hand saw, a level, a tape measure, a hammer, a pencil. The marking of the boards is done with a square. As you can see, this is a common set of tools that most apartment owners have.

You need to start work from the ceiling, then the walls and at the finish the floors. It is in this sequence that the description of the work will be given.

Prices for various types of bars

Bar

Ceiling decoration

We recommend insulating the ceiling to reduce heat loss. Although this is not necessary if the balcony above is already insulated and attached to the living quarters.

Step 1. Surface preparation. There is no need to level anything, you just need to pay attention to the waterproofing.

If a neighbor's insulated or glazed balcony is located above you, then there is no need to take any action. And if the upper balcony is open, then it is imperative to do waterproofing. Today there is a large selection of different materials, it is quite difficult for a beginner to choose the best option. Let's dwell a little on this topic.

To protect structural elements from moisture, gluing, painting, coating, plastering, penetrating, sprayed and rolled waterproofing with non-woven materials is used.

We recommend using modified bitumen mastics : cheap, fast and reliable. In order to facilitate the choice, we offer a list of the most used ones.

These are examples of cheap and high-quality waterproofing materials from domestic manufacturers, in terms of their performance they fully meet the existing requirements. If you wish, you can purchase foreign mastics, but practitioners claim that the efficiency will be the same, and the costs are much higher.

Step 2. Marking the battens.

Measure the length and width of the ceiling. It is recommended to place individual battens of the battens at a distance of approximately 50 cm, from this calculation, count the number of battens.

Important. Insulate the bottom of the balcony slab above you if necessary. For insulation, you can use foam or mineral wool.

There is no practical difference in terms of heat saving; in terms of performance and cost, polystyrene is preferable. Why?

1. Styrofoam is easier to work with, especially on ceilings. It has better rigidity and requires fewer dowels for fixing.
2. Styrofoam is not afraid of moisture and direct contact with water. For mineral wool, moisture is a big problem.

   Even a slight increase in relative humidity significantly increases thermal conductivity.In addition, mineral wool dries for a long time, which means that wooden structures will be used for a long time in difficult conditions. The negative consequences are obvious.

Practical recommendation. Plates of polystyrene and mineral wool are much better to fasten to ceilings not with special dowels with wide caps, but with ordinary slats.

The slats support the material along its entire length, which completely eliminates the risk of the insulation sagging. Another plus - you need to drill much less holes in reinforced concrete. And this is quite hard work, there are risks of falling into metal reinforcement, which further complicates the fixing process.

Tip. Talk to your neighbors before you start drilling the upper balcony slab.

This will help prevent unpleasant situations.

Step 3. If you decide to insulate the balcony ceiling with slabs, then along the perimeter you should fix wooden slats to metal corners, ceiling boards will be nailed to them. The height of the slats is 1-2 cm higher than the thickness of the insulation. Fasten the insulation with thin strips or special dowels.

Select the distance between the fixation points in such a way as to exclude sagging of the material.

Step 4. Cut to size of board.

Due to the fact that in our case they will be fixed only at the ends, then they should be laid not along the length, but along the width of the balcony. The standard width of the balcony slabs is no more than 1.0 meter, use boards with a thickness of about 20 mm, they will not sag Boards must be grooved.

Important. If in the case of ordinary floors and ceilings made of boards, building codes recommend that they be tightly pressed against each other using special devices or wedges, then when decorating a balcony in Provence style, the opposite is true.

Do not press the boards, let small gaps remain between them. This was the look of the old living quarters in the French province.

"Provence" in translation means a province, and not a city or historical region, as is sometimes thought. Although the city exists under this name, it has nothing to do with the described style. Provence style has a lot of similar materials with country style.

The main difference is that the French made their premises, even in the villages, more comfortable and beautiful than the Americans.

We do not recommend laying electrical cables under the balcony ceiling; it is much more convenient to mount lighting fixtures on the walls. But if you really want or if the final furnishing requires it, then lay the cables after insulation. Accordingly, a hole must be drilled in the boards to bring them out. The electrical wiring should be installed in strict accordance with the PUE, if knowledge is not enough, then it is better to involve professional electricians for help.

Step 5. Clean the surfaces of the boards from dust and varnish. In most cases, one layer is sufficient, if this is not enough, cover a second time.

This completes the work with the Provence style balcony ceiling, you can start decorating the walls.

Prices for expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene

Wall decoration

Provence style is a maximum of natural materials.

We will use wooden lining for the walls.

Step 1. Fix the side rails to the walls. Due to the fact that the surfaces of the walls of the balcony are small, the installation of the slats is greatly simplified. Cases when it is necessary to align the position of the battens are quite rare due to large deviations.

You can check the position of the crate with an ordinary level. Carefully install the battens around the doorway and windows.

Drill holes with a drill with victorious drills, completely sink the dowel heads into the wood, otherwise they will create obstacles during fixing the lining. You don't have to drill special holes for the caps, just tighten them more.

Step 2.

Check the condition of the battens, if any problems are found, correct them immediately. It is not necessary to lay insulation on the walls between the balcony and the room, but it is necessary to insulate the parapet. The thickness of the insulation is within 10 cm, it is no longer needed, the balcony has too little free space.

Step 3. Start the sheathing at the parapet, this plane is most visible.

The lining is laid from bottom to top, carefully check the first board horizontally. It is better to fix it with small studs in the groove, it is long and difficult to work with screws.

Important.Leave a small gap between the tenon and the groove to compensate for linear expansion. Otherwise, the sheathing may swell, you will have to redo everything.

Step 4 . Carefully sheathe walls near windows and doors, remember to close corners and make slopes. For these purposes, it is better to use wood corners. If they are not there, then it is allowed to use plastic elements that do not differ in tone from wooden ones.

Step 5.

Nail in the ceiling skirting boards, be sure to cut them at 45 ° in the corners. But there are times when the angle is indirect, then you will have to make individual measurements for an even cut. How is this done?

1. One plinth firmly lean against the opposite wall in the corner until it stops. Lean the second one against the second corner so that its end lies on the first ceiling plinth.
2. At the intersection with a sharp pencil, draw points on both elements.

3. Remove the skirting boards and connect the marked points with lines.
4. Carefully cut the ends of the skirting boards along the lines.

If you don't have any practice, we strongly recommend that you first try to find a corner on unnecessary segments. It is not necessary to take a plinth, practice on pieces of battens for lathing. With the side surfaces finished - proceed to the floor.

Finishing the floor

When finishing the balcony in the Provence style, the floors can be made of wood (the best option) or of ceramic tiles. Consider the option of floors made of grooved boards 20-25 mm thick, logs made of beams 30 * 40 mm.

Step 1. Calculate the required amount of material. It is recommended to lay boards on the floor along the balcony, this improves the appearance of the room.

For insulation, take foam boards or mineral wool (can be rolled or pressed).

Practical advice. In order not to make waterproofing between the logs and the concrete slab, you can fix them on metal squares. With their help, by the way, the position of all logs is easily aligned horizontally - the squares have special technological longitudinal slots.

Step 2.

Mark the location of the lag, drill holes in the plate and fix the squares. Pay attention that they are all on the same line.

Step 3. Fix the two extreme lags, set horizontally under the level.

Step 4.

Along the marked lines fix all other logs. Linearity can be controlled with a long, flat rod. Pay attention that there is a gap of several millimeters between the bottom surface of the lumber and the concrete slab.

Step 5. Install insulation between the lags.

We again recommend using foam.No one spends a lot of time on the balcony, you should not be afraid of harmful fumes, especially since there are modern brands of completely safe foam in the implementation. If you are afraid, insulate the floor with mineral wool. But it must be covered with a waterproofing layer without fail. You can use non-woven fabrics, but ordinary plastic wrap will do.

Step 6. Start laying boards. In order not to damage the insulation layer, we recommend laying a subfloor on the logs from scraps of plywood, OSB or boards. As the finished floor is made, the rough floor is removed. As soon as the new floor becomes large enough in area, go to it, remove the roughing completely.

We have already mentioned that it is not necessary to tightly attract the floorboards, this is "required" by the Provence style.

Step 7. After completing the installation of the floorboards around the perimeter, nail the skirting boards.

Step 8. Thoroughly clean the floor from dust and cover with a high-quality wear-resistant varnish.

It is better to apply the varnish with a brush, the roller does not provide the necessary rubbing. The more layers, the smoother the floor surface, but the layers must be made thin.

Each subsequent layer is applied after the previous one has dried in the perpendicular direction. It is not recommended to impregnate lumber with stains before varnishing, the boards should have a natural color and texture.

Prices for various types of varnishes for wood

Varnish for wood

Ceramic flooring

This option is also used when decorating a balcony in the Provence style, but is not considered the best solution.

In addition to distracting attention from natural materials a little, ceramic floors are much colder than wooden ones. And it is impossible to do multilayer insulation because of the large thickness of the cake. The fact is that the level of the balcony floor should be slightly lower than the floor level in the room, in extreme cases, be at the same height. The large thickness of effective thermal insulation of concrete tiles does not allow such conditions to be met. And doing thin isolation is a waste of time and money.

As for the tile laying technology, it is common.

Step 1. Check the surface of the slab, eliminate large differences in height. In most cases, its characteristics are satisfactory and additional alignment is not required.

Step 2.

Purchase the appropriate amount of materials. You will need ceramic tiles and glue. For grouting, use ordinary glue, the floor should have the simplest rustic look.

Step 3. Make the markup.

Building regulations require the tile joint to be exactly centered on the front door.Calculate the position of the first row of tiles based on the tile size and gap width. If you find it difficult to do such calculations, then you can start work from the center and move to the edge. In the future, work will have to be stopped for one day for the glue to harden. After that, you can already stand on fresh tiles and continue laying.

If the surface of the reinforced concrete slab is even, then the glue can be applied with a notched trowel, if there are problems, then apply it with a flat trowel on four sides and in the center. The thickness of the glue is about a centimeter or two; during alignment, the bonding area will increase. Do not worry that small voids will remain, there is no big load on the balcony floor. In addition, the floor tile itself has a fairly high physical strength.

Step 4.

For grouting, use ordinary glue, not Provence style allows for bright colors on floor coverings.

This completes all construction work on finishing the balcony in the Provence force, you can start creating the interior of the room.

Prices for various types of ceramic floor tiles

Ceramic floor tiles

Conclusion

We have given the maximum list of construction work for decorating a balcony in the Provence style, but you can adjust this list depending on specific conditions and your wishes. You can skip the stages of insulation, make wall cladding with plasterboard plates, followed by plastering the surface.

Plaster must necessarily have a relief texture, nothing needs to be perfectly leveled.

The easier and faster the balcony is finished, the better it matches the chosen style.

Video - Provence style balcony decoration