Interior Balcony Cladding
It will take just a few days to transform a regular balcony into a comfortable loggia.
What to line the balcony with inside
Before starting balcony glazing, you must decide on the interior lining material. Many finishing and insulation tasks are done as a complete system. The chosen material must meet these key requirements:
- Durability and practicality;
- Low thermal conductivity;
- Resistance to temperature fluctuations.
Price range and personal taste are also important factors.
Modern markets offer not only traditional, time-tested options like wooden cladding or gypsum board, but also more innovative cork and plastic panels. Additionally, you can use vinyl siding or MDF sheets. Let’s examine the pros and cons of some of these materials.
Gypsum board – an excellent base for further finishing
If you enjoy frequent changes in interior design, gypsum board could be a great choice. While this material is sensitive to moisture, moisture-resistant variants are now available – these should be your priority. However, if moisture levels remain high, even these boards won’t last more than seven years, after which replacement will be needed.
At the same time, gypsum board offers good thermal and sound insulation and allows walls to breathe. Unlike plastic, it is completely hypoallergenic, made from environmentally safe materials.
Even if your balcony design features curved lines, gypsum board is easy to shape, as it can be bent after minor scoring to match the desired form.
Installing gypsum boards on a previously installed wooden frame doesn’t require special skills, making it a common choice for DIY balcony finishing. The boards create a perfectly smooth surface, after which you can apply chosen wallpaper or decorative plaster. In either case, the room’s appearance can be dramatically changed later, which is difficult with various panel systems.
Plastic panel cladding for balconies
When choosing plastic panels for a glazed balcony, consider the expected temperature fluctuations the material must endure. From this standpoint, if you’ve installed cold glazing, it’s best to buy the narrowest plastic strips, which are more resistant to cracking at low temperatures.
Undoubtedly, plastic panels offer practicality, durability (20+ years), fire resistance, and a wide color range. Modern plastic panels allow you to finish your space in a truly avant-garde style – they’re not only available in traditional wood or stone finishes, but can also mimic fabric or reptile skin textures. Seamless joining of individual panels ensures high visual uniformity.
If walls are sufficiently flat, panels can often be glued directly, eliminating the need for a frame. Plastic panels are highly flexible, making them ideal for arch-shaped openings. Panels with a mirror coating can also visually expand a small balcony area.
Insulation and finishing with plastic is the most cost-effective option, ideal for young families or retirees. It pairs perfectly with modern foldable plastic furniture, allowing quick space reorganization when needed.
Wooden cladding (vagonka) for balconies
This is a very popular finishing method. Excellent visual effect, durability, eco-friendliness, and ease of installation are just a few advantages of balcony cladding with vagonka. Enthusiasts of Russian-style design may choose blockhouse (a type of vagonka with a raised surface, imitating solid-cut walls).
European vagonka, featuring tongue-and-groove side joints, prevents gaps in walls and is easy to install. It also features a perfectly smooth surface and superior performance due to kiln-dried wood and deep impregnation with fire retardants under pressure in special chambers (autoclaves).
Given that loggia microclimates often feature high humidity, experts recommend using wood types such as aspen, alder, or larch for finishing. If budget allows, you may choose more expensive wood like cedar or linden. However, pine and spruce may produce excessive resin drips under high heat on glazed balconies, significantly reducing the aesthetic quality of the finish.
DIY balcony cladding
Installing vagonka boards on a wooden frame previously installed on walls covered with waterproofing material. The spacing between battens should match the size of insulation mats – typically 50–60 cm. Insulation pieces are placed into the batten-formed pockets and covered with a vapor barrier film.
If you’ve bought European vagonka, it’s best to fix it using clips – metal plates with a specially bent tab. This method is nearly invisible.
Standard vagonka is secured with screws. To reduce visibility, screw holes must be filled. For this purpose, homemade wooden plugs are used, cut flush with the boards. All cut edges are carefully sanded.
A simpler alternative is using a mixture of PVA glue and wood shavings as filler. Decorated screws resemble wood knots and look very attractive.
The final step is applying a protective layer of varnish or painting the cladding.
