Exterior work on finishing a loggia or balcony is a rather complicated process. Today, a fairly large assortment of finishing materials is offered. Today we will look at how glazing and balconies are finished using siding.
Note that there are several types of siding:
- vinyl,
- aluminum,
- wood,
- cement.
Each type of siding has its own advantages, which determined the scope of its application. For cladding balconies with your own hands, the most popular is the use of PVC panels. Let's look at the process of finishing a balcony window from the outside and how the inner sheathing of a loggia with this material takes place.
Window decoration with siding
This method allows you to accurately finish the windows of balconies and loggias after glazing with your own hands. Due to the ease and simplicity of the installation process, PVC profiles are in great demand for this type of work.
Advantages of PVC siding finishing
Among the many advantages of plastic siding, the following advantages stand out:
Required profiles for work
To sheathe the slopes of the window from the outside, you will need the following elements:
- Start and finish bar.
- H-profile.
- J-profile.
- Internal and external corners.
- Ebb and bevel.
When purchasing siding and consumable fittings, it is necessary to ensure that all elements are of the same shade. Sometimes, on the contrary, they acquire additional elements of a contrasting color so that the windows and interior decoration visually differ.
Types of window openings
Due to the fact that each house is individual, then the windows are of different shapes. The location relative to the load-bearing wall can also vary. There are four main locations and types of openings:
Advice! It is quite natural that the decoration of siding windows, located in different ways, will be slightly different. You will also need a different number of profiles.
Let's look at all the do-it-yourself plating options in more detail.
Window opening without slopes
This option is the easiest in terms of DIY finishing. Such windows can be sheathed in two ways:
- For the first option, you can take a narrow J-profile, with which the window siding is fixed. This method is used to decorate a window that does not stand out from the overall cladding plan.
- To select a window flush with the wall, an ordinary casing is used, into which the facing panels are inserted. To enhance the effect, the platband can be used in a different shade or color than the inner lining of the balcony.
The window is recessed 5-19 cm
This window arrangement is considered a European standard. Its finish with plastic siding is also not questionable. For such slopes, a near-window bar is used, the installation of which takes place using the following technology: 
- A finishing strip is used to fix the near-window profile.
- This strip can be replaced with a J-profile or a chamfer. This replacement is done to save money.
- The rear edge of the near-window strip is inserted into the profile installed near the frame, and its front part serves as a slope angle.
- Further cladding is installed in a special groove in the strip.
Slopes more than 19 cm
In our country, the climate is more severe, therefore, in many houses, the thickness of the walls reaches 50 cm. In turn, the width of the slope outside is more than 19 cm - the standard width of the near-window strip. Such windows are sheathed as follows: 
- A J-profile is installed near the frame, which serves as a starting bar.
- An outer corner is set along the perimeter of the opening.
- The resulting space between the profiles is sheathed with panels of suitable size.
- When measuring and cutting pieces of panels, remember to observe the temperature gap, which should be at least 5 mm.
Decorating arched openings
Sometimes you have to clad arched windows. Moreover, such openings can be either provided for by the construction project or converted from ordinary windows with your own hands. The technology for finishing such openings is as follows:
- The use of a J-profile is recommended, which, if desired, can be easily replaced with a standard one. The edge of the standard profile must be trimmed to give it the desired roundness.
- The incisions are made at least 1 x 15–20 cm so that the profile does not break or crack.
- Siding cladding panels are inserted into the profile groove.
Advice! In order for the window trim with siding to be of high quality, neat and serve for many years, it is necessary to observe the technological gap. Moreover, such a gap should be at any place where two siding elements join.
Siding technology around the window
In order for the interior decoration of the balcony to look complete and neat, the installation of the sheathing around the window should be correctly carried out. This process has certain nuances that must be observed:
- If it is necessary to connect the fittings with your own hands, the corners of the profiles must be cut by 45 °. Use a square for accurate marking.
- All fasteners must be made of galvanized steel. This also applies to screws and dowels.
- Self-tapping screws must be screwed into the crate strictly straight, the slightest deviation from the horizontal must be excluded.
- Regarding the mounting hole - the screw is screwed in strictly in the middle.
- At the same time, it is not necessary to screw in the screws completely, leaving a little slack so that the siding panels can move.
- The part of the profile that is adjacent to the slope is cut at an angle, and the other half is folded. This achieves a tighter, without gaps, connection of the elements.
- It is necessary to install a finishing strip under the window, which will ensure the tightness and reliability of the fastening of the top siding panel.
A similar technology is used to install the cladding around the balcony door. Here the cladding is a little easier as there is no need to clad the door from below.
Advice! If necessary, you can simultaneously insulate the balcony. For this, insulation is placed between the cladding (plastic panels) and the wall. Most often, polystyrene, penofol or pressed mineral wool are used - a modern analogue of glass wool.
Having studied the technology for performing the work, one can come to the conclusion that it is quite possible to decorate the windows with PVC siding with your own hands without the involvement of hired workers. In addition, glazing and finishing of balconies with ennobled windows will complement the appearance and emphasize the originality of the facing of the loggia.
