Organization of lighting on the balcony with your own hands and which lamps are better
In many apartments, lighting is done on a glazed balcony. The light helps transform this space into a full-fledged room where you can work on your computer, read, dine or simply relax. The luminaires are installed close to the workplace or at the top of the ceiling. If the balcony is not glazed, you can hang a solar street light on the wall. Such a luminaire is powered by solar energy and does not require wiring.
Key requirements for balcony lighting
On the balcony you can arrange a place to work or relax. It is desirable that this small room be glazed. For a more comfortable pastime, you will need lighting. Lighting devices are selected depending on the style of the apartment and taking into account the purpose of the additional light.
On a glazed balcony, the luminaire can be installed on the ceiling, on the wall or on the floor. The number of luminaires depends on the area and the purpose of lighting. Recessed spotlights, suspended spotlights installed on the ceiling, are used for general lighting.Wall lights or sconces can be turned on while reading a book or magazine in the evening. If the balcony is not glazed, you can hang a floor lamp with a metal frame and glass on the wall.
LED floor or recessed luminaires are used as decorative lighting for floors or walls.
When arranging lighting on the balcony, consider the following points:
- the lamps are installed on a glazed balcony;
- electrical wiring must be protected against moisture ingress;
- to connect lighting devices to the balcony, they lay wires or use extension brackets.
How to choose a lamp
On the glazed balcony you can install any ceiling, wall or floor lamp. The lighting devices are suspended, aerial, integrated. Rotating lamps are on sale, in which the position of the ceiling is adjusted. Lighting devices are selected depending on the lighting task and focusing on the style of the room.
Workplace lighting
On the balcony you can make a small office and put a table with a chair. There should be a table lamp on the table. You can hang a light fixture with a side-to-side swivel mechanism on the wall. A recessed or suspended lamp is installed on the ceiling.
Under a small winter garden
In the glazed loggia, you can arrange an animal corner and admire the flowers even in winter. True, for normal growth, plants need not only heat, but also additional lighting. All green crops need rays from the red and blue spectrum. A person in a room lit by such lamps will feel uncomfortable.
It is better to install fluorescent lamps in the winter garden.They have low energy consumption and provide bright and pleasant light. In the winter garden, you can install a lighting system with a timer so that the light turns on automatically in the evening, thus extending the hours of clarity.
Loggias and French balconies
On the balcony, you can install panoramic metal-plastic windows from the ceiling to the floor. The glass panels give a lot of light, increase the space and offer a panoramic view. In such a room, you can make spot lighting on the ceiling or on the floor. You can hang a wall lamp. Lovers of antiquity can install a forged balcony railing on the balcony itself, and equip the exit with hinged or sliding glass doors. In the unglazed loggia you can hang a floor lamp on the wall.
Rules for placing artificial light
On the balcony, the lighting can be general and zoned, that is, highlighting one area of the room. The light should be evenly distributed throughout the space or fall on a specific object.
A hanging chandelier is rarely hung on the balcony. Usually installed on in-ceiling spotlights or pendant spotlights. Such lighting devices illuminate only 2 square meters of area. If the balcony is long, it is advisable to install several lamps. Spotlights or spotlights are placed along the ceiling in the center or symmetrically opposite each other.
From the edge of the ceiling to the fixture should be at least 20 centimeters. The sconces are hung at the top of the wall. On the floor, you can install an LED strip near the edge of the balcony or dim spotlights near the wall.
Mount Types
Suspended, surface-mounted or recessed lights can be installed on the balcony. Regardless of where the lamps are located, they must first be equipped with electrical wiring.The lighting systems are fixed to the ceiling using hooks or a mounting strip. On the wall, lamps, sconces are hung on nails or pegs.
Typically, wall mounted fixtures have holes for mounting to a wall surface. Recessed lights are partially hidden behind a plasterboard, on the ceiling or in the wall. They are attached to a hook, a bar or to the plasterboard itself. The LED strip sticks anywhere thanks to the adhesive backing.
Zoning ideas
The balcony is an extension of the room to which it adjoins. A large loggia near the bedroom can be divided into 2 areas: a work area, with a desk, and for relaxation, with a wicker or soft armchair. If the balcony adjoins the kitchen, you can put a table for dining in a spacious room and equip a kitchen area.
In the loggia adjoining the living room, it is better to arrange a sofa, chairs and a coffee table. For a recreation area, a lamp with soft diffused light is suitable. The workstation can be equipped with an adjustable adjustable lamp of the required power.
On the open balcony it is convenient to sunbathe, smoke or have a cup of coffee while reading a magazine. In such a place, it is better to hang a floor lamp on the wall. Usually in a small room they equip one zone: for rest or work. The remaining space is used for the passage.
Lamp Selection
On sale there are bulbs of different sizes, shapes, powers. Incandescent lamps are considered the cheapest, but they consume a lot of electricity and do not last long. For the balcony, you can buy low consumption light bulbs: fluorescent or LED.True, the price of the lamps is higher, but the service life is longer.
Incandescent
It is a popular light source. Such a bulb costs less than others. The lamp emits a pleasant yellowish light. A large amount of heat is generated during the operation of such a bulb. It will last 1000 hours. For 1 hour it consumes 0.060-0.100 kilowatts.
Luminescent
This is an energy saving bulb. It is expensive, but it will last 10 times longer than a regular incandescent lamp. Powered by ultraviolet radiation. Does not flicker or heat up during prolonged operation. It emits a soft and pleasant light for the eyes.
Halogen
It is an improved version of the incandescent lamp. Such a lamp shines with white light, illuminates all the details of the room, but emits heat. For a small balcony, one ceiling lamp is enough. True, halogen bulbs have a negative sensitivity to voltage drops in the network.
LED or LED strip
LED lamps use LEDs as light. White LED bulbs are used for illumination and colored LED strips are used for decorative purposes. In any lamp, instead of an incandescent lamp, you can install a replaceable LED bulb. Such a lamp will last almost 10 years. In addition, LED bulbs are more energy efficient.
DIY Electrical Wiring Rules
Lighting can only be installed in a glazed balcony. Open - there is a high risk of moisture ingress into sockets, switches or lamps. True, if the balcony is not glazed, lighting can be installed, but you need to protect the electrical wiring from water and use floor lamps with closed blinds as fixtures. Before laying the wiring in the loggia, you need to see which wires are used in the apartment: aluminum or copper.In the house, all wiring must be of the same type, otherwise connecting different wires will cause a short circuit.
Internal or external electrical wiring can be installed on the balcony. To install hidden wiring in the wall, you need to make special channels - strobes. In the future, all the wires are hidden behind the plaster. For external wiring, you need to purchase plastic boxes in which the electrical wires will be hidden.
All work on the installation of lighting is done with the electricity switched off on the dashboard. The balcony wires are drawn from the nearest socket. It is disassembled to get to the main electrical cable. A wire is connected to it and exits through a hole in the wall to the balcony. This power cable is pulled into a junction box, and from there the wires are scattered to outlets and light switches.
Design tips and tricks
The balcony can be arranged in any style: country, modern, classic, Provencal, sea. The design of this room should be consistent with the design of the neighboring room. On the country-style balcony you can put a wicker rocking chair, a coffee table, a lamp with a wooden lampshade.
In a classically designed loggia, one can find a soft sofa, a coffee table, a floor lamp and indoor potted plants. For a balcony in a nautical style, a beach chair, a canopy is suitable. Here you can put pots with plants that look like a palm tree, wide bowls of sand, spotlights. Provence is characterized by aged white furniture, sconces with a flower-shaped lampshade on the wall, vases of flowers, pastel-colored textiles with floral patterns.
Regardless of the style chosen, the balcony is decorated in light colors, the floor can be dark. Usually 3-4 shades are played, one of which is the accent, that is, it is used in isolated cases to "revive" the piece.
A special requirement for the furniture: it must match the color of the finish and not be too bulky. On a small balcony it is better to put a folding table or chair. Such furniture can be quickly removed, moreover, it is not afraid of rain or snow.