6 tips for lighting the balcony

Content

1. №1. Select the connection point
2. №2. In what order do the work?
3. No. 3. Hidden or external wiring?
4. №4. What kind of lighting should be on the balcony?
5. №5. What kind of fixtures will work?
6. №6. Which lamps can I use?
7. In conclusion

With a small area of ​​modern apartments simply indecent to use balconies and loggias as technical premises and turn them into a junk warehouse. A couple of extra square meters can easily turn into a cozy office, a recreation area, a winter garden or become a continuation of the next room - the main thing is to approach the organization of space with the mind. Whether the balcony is insulated, glazed or completely open, the lighting on it will be needed for sure. How to organize lighting on the balcony, and what nuances to take into account in some cases?

№1. Select the connection point

In some houses already at the time of their construction, lighting of balconies and loggias is provided and even the simplest lamps can be installed. It is clear that they will have to be changed, but these are all small things compared to the fact that most will have to organize the posting on the balcony.

To connect the balcony to electricity, there isthree main sources:

• flap. This is the most difficult option, because the wiring will have to pull through the whole apartment, and this is a labor-intensive process, and it is appropriate only when the repair occurs throughout the house. The advantage of this option is the possibility to connect household appliances on the balcony, and if there is planned To make an office or to heat a room with electric heaters, this method is the most suitable;
• next room. The most reasonable option in most cases. It will be necessary to find a junction box in the wall and from it to draw a new line. But even here there are some tricks: if the cable veins have a small diameter or the wiring is old, then it can not withstand the additional source of electricity consumption;
• socket in the next room. This option is very similar to the previous one, and it is called a loopback connection. This is the best way, if the mounting box is far from the balcony and you do not want to pull the wiring through the entire room.

№2. In what order do the work?

If all the work on conducting electricity on the balcony and lighting it is done on its own, then it is necessary to adhereclear action plan. It is approximately the same for all the options described above andis the following:

• power outage in the apartment;
• calculation and preparation of the required number of cables;
• marking of walls for further strobleniya;
• the creation of a shtro from the place of connection to future outlets, switches and installation sites for luminaires. They are done with the help of shtroborez or chisel. Since the cable is wound onto the balcony through the wall, it will be necessary to make a hole in it by a perforator;
• place the cable in the strobes and fix every 20 cm with alabaster, it seizes very quickly;
• connect the elements into one circuit;
• ring the multimeter and seal the mortars with a solution;
• connect to the circuit breaker on the input.

Do not forget that all lighting lines must be protected from moisture, which can be present on the balcony, even if it is glazed. It is better to select copper wires with a cross-section, mm2 and connect them with terminals rather than twisting.

No. 3. Hidden or external wiring?

Organize lightingglazed and insulatedbalconiescan be quite aesthetically and simply. The wiring cable can be laid between the insulation layer and the finish finishes. If plywood or drywall is used as the last one, it is better to cut out the places for switches and sockets in advance. Since the balcony is insulated and the ceiling, it is convenient to connectSpotlightsand create a cozy interior. In any case, it is better to lay the wires in the casing to minimize the consequences from unforeseen situations.

If the balcony is not glazed, and the walls and ceiling are a concrete or brick monolith, then they resortto wall slashing, which is often used for glazed and insulated balconies. This is an ideal option, because after all stages of finishing works, the wires will not be visible, and the interior will only benefit from this, but the process of preparing the strob is laborious enough.

The second option -outdoor wiring. All work on its arrangement takes a minimum of time, and the cable is fixed on special insulators. External sockets and switches are used, and the cable must necessarily be placed in a corrugated pipe to protect against external influences. Today in the construction market you can find interesting decorative boxes to successfully hide the wiring and bring a highlight to the interior.

№4. What kind of lighting should be on the balcony?

The area of ​​the standard balcony is small, so often one light source located on the ceiling or on the wall will suffice. If the space is large enough, it can be envisagedseveral functional zones with their lighting.

Number of light sourcesdepends on how the balcony will be used. If there is a corner for reading or needlework, then in addition to the main light, you must organize and local lighting, not to mention those cases, if on the balcony you need to organize an office or winter Garden.

If the area allows, it is possible to envisage anddecorative lightingin the form of an LED strip along the contour of the ceiling, illuminate the floor, and with the help of a sconce, for example, pay attention to a picture or a vase. Do not forget about all sorts of garlands, lanterns, candles and other decorating elements.

№5. What kind of fixtures will work?

If the balcony is insulated, then the choice of lamps is not limited to anything. You can buy any chandeliers, sconces or floor lamps designedfor use in apartment, and the choice of such a huge that it is not difficult to find suitable lamps for the interior. Moreover, lamps can be made the highlight of the interior.

All lamps can be divided into the following groups:

• ceiling. They are most often used on the balcony and give a maximum of light, evenly illuminating the entire space. Can besuspended and built-in. Suspended are the usual chandeliers, plafonds in the form of plates, as well as plafonds on bars and cords. The latter look very stylish and allow you to transform the general lighting into a local one if necessary. Recessed luminaires can be arranged if you plan to make a ceiling on a balcony of plasterboard, plastic or MDF panels;
• wall-mounted lightingin the form of sconces is also often used on balconies. With its help you can create a cozy atmosphere, which has a rest;
• outdoorlightingpresented floor lamps and floor lamps. Great if there is a place for reading on the balcony.

For balconies of open typechoose lamps designed for street lighting. Low temperatures, and in winter, on an unheated balcony, conditions differ little from street conditions, well tolerated by lamps designed for outdoor lighting. The choice of them, although not as wide as for home conditions, but also pretty decent.

№6. Which lamps can I use?

Use on the balcony can be any type of lamps from the existing ones, but their shortcomings and advantages everyone should analyze for himself. On sale you can find such lamps:

• incandescent lamps. Familiar to all of us since childhood, habitual and cheapest, so they still remain popular, despite the inefficiency. Power ranges from 15 to 300 watts, the surface of the lamp can be transparent, matte or mirrored. Service life is about 1000 hours;
• fluorescent lampsmore durable, economical, but also cost more. With the same power, the light flux of such a lamp is 7-8 times higher than that of an incandescent lamp, and the service life is about 8000 hours;
• halogen llamasgive the same luminous flux as incandescent lamps, while consuming half the energy. They use the demand because of the enormous variety. The lamp can be of any shape, light - directional or diffuse, of different shades. They are often used to create interesting design solutions;
• LED lamp- the most perfect at the moment. They are the most durable, economical and durable. Having bought such a lamp once, it will not be necessary to change it for a long time, because the service life is determined by 5, 00 hours.

In conclusion

Although the balcony, as a rule, occupies a small area, the organization of space must be approached with intelligence, and lighting is an important part of the entire interior. Long winter evenings on the balcony will be cozy to read a book or drink tea, and create a home resting environment can be largely due to the correct lighting.

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