6 tips for lighting a balcony

With a small area of ​​modern apartments, it is simply indecent to use balconies and loggias as technical rooms and turn them into a trash warehouse. A couple of extra square meters can easily turn into a cozy study, relaxation area, winter Garden or become a continuation of the next room - the main thing is to approach the organization of space wisely. Be a balcony insulated, glazed or completely open, lighting on it will be needed for sure. How to organize lighting on the balcony, and what nuances to consider in some cases?

No. 1. Choose a connection point

In some houses, even at the time of their construction, lighting for balconies and loggias is provided, and even the simplest lamps can be installed. It is clear that they will have to be changed, but this is all the little things compared to what most will have to do organization of posting on the balcony.

To connect the balcony to electricity, there is three main sources:

• housing shield. This is the most difficult option, because the wiring will have to be pulled through the entire apartment, and this is a time-consuming process, and it is appropriate only when repairs occur in the whole house. The advantage of this option is the ability to connect household appliances on the balcony, and if it is planned to make an office or to heat the 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 the junction box in the wall and draw a new line from it. But there are some tricks here: if the cable cores have a small diameter or the wiring is old, then it can not withstand an 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 installation box is far from the balcony and you do not want to pull the wiring through the entire room.

No. 2. In what order do the work?

If all work on conducting electricity to the balcony and lighting is carried out independently, then you should adhere to clear action plan. It is approximately the same for all the options described above and is as follows:

• blackout in the apartment;
• calculation and preparation of the required amount of cable;
• wall marking for further gating;
• creation of a gate from the place of connection to future sockets, switches and places of installation of fixtures. They are made using a chaser or chisel. Since the cable runs onto the balcony through the wall, it will be necessary to make a hole in it puncher;
• place the cable in the strobes and fix it with an alabaster every 20 cm, it seizes very quickly;
• connect the elements in one circuit;
• ring with a multimeter and seal the strobes with a solution;
• connect to the input circuit breaker.

Do not forget that all lighting lines must be protected from moisture that may be present on the balcony, even if it is glazed. It is better to choose copper wires with a cross section of 1.5 mm² and connect them with terminals, not twisting.

No. 3. Hidden or outdoor wiring?

Arrange lighting glazed and insulated balcony can be quite aesthetically and simply.The wiring cable can be laid between the insulation layer and the finish. If plywood or drywall is used as the latter, it is better to cut out places for switches and sockets in advance. Since the ceiling is also insulated on the balconies, it is convenient to connect Spotlights and create a cozy interior. In any case, it is better to lay the wires in the casing in order to minimize the consequences of unforeseen situations.

If the balcony is not glazed, and the walls and ceiling are concrete or brick monolith, then they resort to gouging walls, which is often used for glazed insulated balconies. This is ideal, because after all stages of finishing work the wires will not be noticeable, and the interior will only benefit from this, but the process of preparing the strobe is quite laborious.

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

Number 4. What kind of lighting should be on the balcony?

The area of ​​a standard balcony is small, so often a single light source located on the ceiling or on the wall will be enough. If the space is large enough, then we can provide several functional areas with its own lighting.

Number of light sources depends on how the balcony will be used. If there will be a reading or handicraft corner, then in addition to the main light, it is also necessary to organize local lighting, not to mention those cases when it is necessary to organize an office or a winter garden on the balcony.

If the area allows, you can provide and decorative lighting as LED strip along the ceiling, highlight the floor, and using a sconce, for example, pay attention to a picture or a vase. Do not forget about all kinds of garlands, lanterns, candles and other decorating elements.

No. 5. Which lights fit?

If the balcony is insulated, the choice of lamps is not limited to anything. You can buy any chandelier, sconces or floor lamps intended for use in the apartment, and the choice of such is so huge that it is not difficult to find lamps suitable for the interior. Moreover, fixtures can be made highlights of the interior.

All fixtures can be divided into the following groups:

• ceiling. They are most often used on the balcony and give maximum light, evenly illuminating the entire space. May be suspended and recessed. Hanging lamps are the chandeliers that are familiar to all of us, shades in the form of plates, as well as shades on the rods and cords. The latter look very stylish and allow you to transform the general lighting into local lighting if necessary. Recessed fixtures can be arranged if you plan to make the ceiling on the balcony of plasterboard, plastic or MDF panels;
• wall lighting sconces are also often used on balconies. With it, you can create a cozy atmosphere that is conducive to relaxation;
• outdoor lighting represented by floor lamps and floor lamps. Great for reading on the balcony.

For open balconies choose fixtures designed for street lighting. Low temperatures, and in winter on an insulated balcony, the conditions differ little from the street, well tolerated by fixturesdesigned for outdoor lighting. Their choice, although not as wide as for home, is also quite decent.

No. 6. What kind of lamps can I use?

You can use any type of lamp from the existing ones on the balcony, but everyone should analyze their disadvantages and advantages for themselves.On sale you can find such lamps:

• incandescent lamps. We are familiar to all of us from childhood, familiar and the cheapest, so they still remain popular, despite being uneconomical. Power ranges from 15 to 300 watts, the surface of the lamp can be transparent, matte or mirrored. Service life about 1000 hours;
• fluorescent lamps more durable, economical, but also cost more. With the same power, the luminous 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 lamas give the same luminous flux as incandescent lamps, while consuming two times less energy. They are in demand due to their enormous variety. The lamp can be of any shape, the light - directional or diffused, in different shades. They are often used to create interesting design decisions;
• LED lamp - the most advanced at the moment. They are the most durable, economical and durable. Having bought such a lamp once, you won’t have to change it for a long time, because the service life is determined by 50,000 hours.

In conclusion

Although a balcony, as a rule, occupies a small area, the organization of space must be approached wisely, and lighting is an important part of the entire interior. It will be comfortable to read a book or drink tea on the balcony on long winter evenings, and you can create such a homely relaxing atmosphere largely due to the proper lighting.