How and what to make a wardrobe on the balcony with your own hands
It will be possible to save space in the apartment and neatly equip the balcony by preparing spacious boxes for this room. Everyone is capable of independently making furniture, if you first figure out what to make a cabinet on the balcony from and how to act. Capacious shelves are suitable for storing canned goods, clothes, bulky items, building materials. Making racks for a balcony does not take much time and special skills are not required for this work. All the necessary materials are easy to find in a hardware store, and tools can be found at every home.
Types of structures
When there is a lot of space in the room, then it will be supplemented with a cabinet cabinet. Carpentry work will require large financial costs, since you will have to manufacture all structural elements and the inner wall, including. The product takes up more space on the balcony, but if necessary, it is convenient to move or transport it when moving.
Making a corner cabinet for the balcony with your own hands will be a little more difficult than the two previous design options, but such a product is very roomy. This type of furniture is built-in or cabinet type. A similar model is made in the form of shelves attached to the corner of the room. The corner type product is installed on an insulated loggia or balcony.
It will be much more convenient to stay in the room if, before making a built-in wardrobe or cabinet on the loggia, you decide what doors should be. It will be possible to make a construction using the following elements:
- Swing doors. Suitable for a loggia where there is a lot of free space. You can install the doors at the full height of the structure or divide the structure into certain zones, where each will have its own door;
- Folding doors, compartment and roller shutters. This type of door is suitable for a room where space is limited. They will help save space and use the cabinet with ease.
What materials will be required?
You can make a wardrobe using plywood, wood, chipboard, drywall or plastic. If desired, you can combine several materials with each other. In the process of finishing work, it is important to use PVC or lining... Using natural wood, making a wardrobe for the balcony with your own hands, is relevant in the case when the room is not glazed. If the wood is pre-coated with waterproof paint or varnish, it will be possible to prevent damage to the material in adverse weather conditions.
Before deciding on the building material from which the cabinet will be made, you need to take into account the design of the balcony, whether the room is insulated or not, and what load will be on the shelves. A universal option for any type of balcony is natural wood.Materials such as plastic and MDF are also resistant to moisture.
Product frame
Having decided to make a wooden cabinet for the balcony, you should think about what material to use for each individual structural element. During the manufacture of the product, most of the attention is paid to the frame and doors. Some wardrobes are complemented by a side post and paneling.
It will be possible to make a cabinet frame using a bar with a section of 50x50 mm or 40x40 mm. This option is suitable for a heated balcony. If the room is not heated, then it is better to exclude the wooden frame and pay attention to other materials, since under the influence of moisture the tree will change its size and begin to deform.
A universal way to make a frame is to use galvanized profiles for drywallas they do not change their appearance under the influence of adverse weather conditions. Plasterboard, chipboard, plywood and other materials can be easily attached to the galvanized profile.
Cabinet shelves
It will be possible to make a high-quality and reliable wardrobe for the balcony if you choose the right building material for the shelves. The main load will be directed precisely at this element of the product, so the shelves will have to be given special attention. Particleboard, OSB or thick plywood are best suited for the manufacture of this part.
If the load on the shelf is more than 5 kg, then it is better to give preference to a wooden board. Such material will perfectly cope with the load in the form of conservation, dishes or books.
Shelves are attached to pre-mounted bars or self-tapping screws. It will not be difficult to make a frame for a cabinet from bars if you prepare all the tools and materials in advance. It will be possible to make a cabinet using metal corners, where you can also attach shelves. If the cabinet is built-in, and the walls of the balcony can be drilled, then it is important to use corners and self-tapping screws.
A self-made cabinet on the balcony will look no worse if you build shelves using metal rails and brackets. In this case, it is very easy to change the height of the shelves, it is enough to outweigh the brackets to another hole.
It will turn out to build shelves from the remaining scraps of wooden boards. Before attaching the part to the frame, it is important to pre-prepare the boards. To do this, they are covered with paint and varnish material (preferably water-based). Such shelves will not deform under the influence of moisture and ultraviolet radiation.
Preparatory work
Before moving on to carpentry work, you should stock up on the necessary tools. Prepare electrical appliances in the form of: a screwdriver, electric drills, jigsaw. You will also need to take a hammer, a chisel, a building level and a square. When making a product, you cannot do without nails, screws, a plumb line, tape measure and a dowel. It will be easier to draw a drawing of a cabinet on a loggia by preparing a ruler and a pencil in advance.
Before you start assembling the cabinet, pay attention to the following points:
- Pre-repair the balcony floor. If there is no opportunity to repair the entire floor on the loggia, then pay attention to the area where the cabinet will be located.
- In the process of installing the cabinet on the balcony with your own hands, the drawings will help you avoid trouble and get the desired design.
- If you install the structure on a glazed loggia, then the cabinet will last much longer;
- Insulate the balcony (walls and floor) in advance and eliminate gaps with mineral wool, foam or PVC. Such a measure will extend the shelf life of the cabinet.
How to make a product for a beginner?
Having understood what the wardrobe is made of on the balcony, and how to properly prepare the room, you should proceed to the next stage. Consider in advance where the structure will stand, and also take into account the fact whether the balcony is glazed or not.This factor will help you figure out which material is best to use for carpentry work.
For beginners, you can make an open cabinet in the form of a shelf. The process of creating a cabinet for a loggia includes the following steps:
- Use a tape measure to measure the exact dimensions of the future cabinet.
- Prepare a drawing. Consider the width, thickness, and height of each piece.
- Buy the necessary materials from the hardware store and prepare the tools.
- Focusing on the dimensions indicated in the drawing, make markings on the boards with a pencil.
- Using the prepared materials, cut out the parts, assemble the frame and attach the shelves.
It will be much easier to make a wardrobe on the loggia with your own hands from a photo or drawing. Make the frame following the basic rules. Start assembling the frame starting from the bottom. First, set the base straight, and then attach the vertical pieces to it. After that, fix horizontal parts on the structure, remembering to fix the rigidity of the product. Then attach the tabs where the shelves will be located.
When you start assembling the cabinet, make sure that the product is level and its parts are symmetrical. If the product will stand on an unglazed loggia, then pre-treat the boards with varnish so that the cabinet will last as long as possible.
Tips for Experienced Craftsmen
The process of making a cabinet with a more complex design includes doors. Having figured out what to make a wardrobe on the balcony from, and what tools to use, proceed to the next steps:
- Think over the drawing. Decide on the dimensions of each part, the height and depth of the cabinet and the distance between the shelves. Think about the order in which you will assemble the structural parts together.
- In order to make hinged or sliding doors for a cabinet on the balcony, buy hinges, handles and fasteners.
- Using the drawing, prepare the materials, cut out all the main parts with a saw.
- Assemble the cabinet one at a time using a building level and a plumb line.
- At the final stages, sheathe the cabinet with clapboard or plastic (sheathing should be combined with the rest of the repair on the loggia).
Assemble the cabinet on the loggia with your own hands according to the drawing, starting from the bottom of the frame. Install the support first, and then fix the longitudinal and transverse parts. Then attach the shelves and doors. Try to smoothly and neatly fasten the hinges on which the doors will be located. Finally, attach the handles to the doors. Prepare the holes for the hinges and fastening the handles using a drill and a chisel.
Unusual design ideas
It is important to install on the loggia not only an ordinary swing cabinet with doors, but also other options for cabinets with a beautiful design. It will be much easier to design a cabinet for a balcony based on a photo and ready-made drawings. Frosted glass inserts will help to make the product as cozy and homely as possible. A wardrobe in the shape of a kitchen cupboard looks unusual on the balcony.
A wardrobe with mirrored doors will help to visually increase the size of the room. It will also be possible to equip the product in the form of a workplace. This option is suitable for an insulated balcony. A computer monitor and a system unit can be hidden behind the cabinet doors.
You can add fresh flowers or books to the cabinet if you think over neat shelves in advance from the side. If the loggia is large and insulated, then the room can be equipped as a separate room. The bottom of the cabinet can be designed as a soft bench or sofa. It is important to equip the window sill on the loggia in the form of a table and complement it with a folding chair.