Moving to new apartment, we rejoiced at the increase in our residential meters... But there is much less space for flowers. The windowsills turned out to be so narrow that even a saucer could not hold onto them, not to mention flower pots... The problem had to be solved urgently before we lost half of the collection. It was especially important to solve the problem of a narrow window sill in the kitchen.
Variants
The first option that comes to mind is a plastic window with plastic window sill... True, the window sills in this case increase by only 10 centimeters. Not as big a gain as we would like. In addition, if the kitchen is small, the work table (wherever it stands) makes the kitchen cramped and uncomfortable.
The decision came by itself. It is necessary to make a full-fledged work surface from the window sill - from wall to wall. In this case, the window sill will be 2 m long, 45 cm wide (near the wall) and 60 cm (in the window opening).
Window sill installation
For the production of a wide window sill, we used 2 simple narrow kitchen cabinets without a "top" and fronts. These side tables are easy to purchase from a home improvement store or order from a kitchen furniture company.
The bedside tables were set sideways to outside wall, opposite each other. Thus, they have become a reliable support for the table top. Adjustable legs allowed to adjust the height of the bedside tables and the level of the window sill.
For the countertop, we took a large sheet of plywood (12 mm). According to the plan, the table top is slightly wider than the side tables standing sideways, and goes into the window opening. Taking into account the uneven geometry of the walls, the base for the countertop had to be cut out according to a previously made pattern. For curly carving, a jigsaw was needed.
The next step is the cladding of the countertops ceramic tiles... We used medium-sized tiles: with the small dimensions of the kitchen, large tiles visually reduce the free space, and laying very small tiles is quite a tedious task. As a result, the choice fell on the tiles with which the wall was finished. Overall size- 20x20 cm, while each - consists of four small "tiles" (10x10 cm).
To avoid wet processes, the tiles were attached to plywood with glue, which is popularly called "liquid nails".
The seams were covered with white grout. The end was closed with an aluminum threshold. By the way, window slopes did it last, when the wide window sill was already completely ready.
Impressions from the operation of the window sill(after five years)
No need:
Making wide seams between tiles - the designer's desire to keep the size of the cells and lines, as on the wall, played a cruel joke. The rough seams, 5 mm wide, turned out to be "dirt accumulators". At first, they were intensively cleaned and washed. However, the grout began to crack from constant cleaning. Hence the moral: on the countertop (window sill), lay the tiles close to each other, with minimal gaps.
Use embossed tiles, even if one has already been used for walls. From an aesthetic point of view, it is beautiful, but from a household one ... Relief tiles have to be regularly cleaned with a brush (a rag is enough for a smooth surface).
In order not to block the gas tap, a large hatch (15x15 cm) is made in the plywood; one whole tile serves as a cover for it. If necessary, the tiles can be easily removed. A furniture handle can be installed on it. True, experience shows that even without a handle, such a hatch is quite convenient to use.
Very often in life there is a need to increase the window sill. The reason for the need to increase the window sill is very often an increase in the width of the load-bearing walls.
In order to save money, you can perform this action yourself.
What width should the window sill be?
When installing a plastic window sill, it must be remembered that it should not interfere with the rise warm air... That is why it is necessary to correctly calculate its width.
The permissible window sill protrusion should not exceed 50-70 millimeters. If the ledge of the window sill is larger, then it will overlap the window sill, which will negatively affect the air circulation.
Under the window itself, it is necessary to bring about 20 millimeters of the window sill. This fact must also be taken into account when calculating its length.
The width of the window sill directly depends on the width load-bearing wall... For example, if the width of the load-bearing wall is 50 centimeters, then the plant under the window and the ledge must be added to the width of the window sill.
That is, with a load-bearing wall width of 50 centimeters, the width of the plastic window sill will be 57-59 centimeters.
Flowers are original design solution any room. Most often they are placed on window sills.
If the window sill is narrow and it is impossible to place flowers on it, then it is necessary to expand it. It is quite simple to do this, which allows the user to perform this action on his own.
To expand the window sill, it is necessary to make wooden bar, the width of which will be equal to an indicator of 100 millimeters.
Four holes must be drilled in the front edge of the window sill, the diameter of which will be 12 millimeters. It is also necessary to drill the corresponding holes in the bar at the same distance.
This requires pre-drilling 2 mm holes. In this case, the heads of the nails should be hidden under the windowsill, so as not to spoil the aesthetic appearance window.
In order to simplify the task of placing a bar on metal rods, it is necessary to clean the holes from dust. For this purpose, a special brush is used.
In order to save space in the room, a countertop can be made from the window sill. This worktop can be widely used in the kitchen, bedroom or study.
Initially, it is necessary to make measurements of the window sill, which will be used to make the countertop. In this case, the height of the table top must fully correspond to the height of the window sill.
The far edge of the tabletop must be attached to the support profile, and the near one will rest on two specially made pedestals.
When installing the curbstone, it is imperative to align it vertically. It should completely coincide with the plane of the window sill. It is best to order cabinets for this, which will have adjustable legs.
After installing the curbstones, it is necessary to make a base for the countertop. For this purpose, you can use plywood with a thickness of at least 12 millimeters.
To protect the countertop from swelling, it is necessary to choose moisture-resistant plywood. The base for the future countertop is cut in accordance with its configuration. For this purpose, a jigsaw.
The final stage in the installation of the table top is to place the plywood on the pedestals. Other materials can be used as a tabletop, but they will be much more difficult to process to match the shape of the tabletop.
Moreover, they are much stronger and more reliable than plywood.
And also watch a video on how to make a tabletop from a window sill:
Today it is in every house and in every apartment. A modern window sill is a multifunctional device that, firstly, pleases the owners with the aesthetic appearance of the window, and secondly, it plays the role of an additional place where you can store various items. The second function is especially popular among modern consumers, because leaving the car keys, wallet or any other on the windowsill important thing, You can easily find it there. However, most people, and especially housewives, use windowsills as breeding spaces. indoor plants and flowers. This process implies the presence window sills considerable width, however, even the widest window sills sometimes may not be enough for a large number flower pots. How to enlarge a window sill with your own hands, described below.
Extension wooden window sill
If the window sills in your home are made of wood, it is quite possible to expand them to the required size, using the materials at hand and our advice.
First you need to prepare a hardwood board. The board must be completely dry and free from cracks. If necessary, the board is adjusted to the required size using a jigsaw or an ordinary saw. The edges of the board should be sanded and leveled.
Next, you should stock up metal parts in the form of corners to be used as brackets. The thickness of the board must match the thickness of the wooden window sill... The dimensions of the brackets should be selected in accordance with the parameters of the window sill, while taking into account that several screws or self-tapping screws will be screwed into the board. It is necessary to mark in advance the place of bending and drill holes in the corners in the appropriate places. Of course, the bracket joint would be best welded together using welding machine, however, not every amateur master has one with him. After the board and brackets are ready, you should firmly and securely fasten them. The bracket is screwed to the window sill and wall, and the board, in turn, to the bracket. All parts of the new design must be perfectly matched to each other. Only in this case will the new window sill be truly reliable and capable of withstanding significant loads.
If you are unsure of the stability that the bracket can provide, you should modify the board. A special comb is cut out on its end side, and a corresponding groove at the junction with the window sill. When assembling the structure, the comb is inserted into the groove, which makes it possible to give the window sill additional rigidity and strength. Also, in this assembly option, you can use wood glue.
How enlarge a stone sill, concrete or plastic
If the extension window sill made of wood perhaps with the help of only an additional board, then in the case of stone window sills, concrete or plastic It is not that simple.
Here's an option with additional element is not very suitable. If the widths stone or plastic window sill It is not enough for you, it is recommended to simply replace it with a wider one. To do this, you need to remove the old window sill, prepare a place for installation and fix the new one.
Plastic slopes are easy to disassemble, after which it is easy to access PVC window sill... If the slopes are plastered, the window sill will have to be knocked out. Especially if it is made of stone or concrete.
Next, you should clean up and prepare the place for installing the future window sill: remove the protruding parts, get rid of debris and prepare a new window sill. Do not forget about the accuracy and clarity in the markup. If at the time of installation it suddenly turns out that the new window sill is not quite suitable, the work may be delayed. If the dimensions completely coincide, you should install a new window sill in the free space, and then fix it from below. wooden blocks. This option good for plastic window sills... A load is placed on top, after which all the free space under the windowsill is filled with polyurethane foam.
In the case of window sills made of natural or artificial stone as well as concrete, assembly work become more complicated, since such window sills are of considerable weight. To install them, you need to use cement mortar, and in some cases and metal supports with a special fastening system.
It is worth remembering one more small detail related to the expansion of the window sills. Do not forget that after the above steps, the edge of the window sill will protrude much more forward from the side of the window. Therefore, the curtains and curtains hanging in the room will begin to touch him. To remedy this situation, it is necessary to replace the cornice or lengthen it in such a way that the distance from the curtains to the wall becomes greater.
Currently, many people, especially flower growers and gardeners, are not satisfied with narrow window sills in apartments.
There are two options for solving this problem:
- The first option is to install a new plastic window(double-glazed window) with a plastic window sill. A significant drawback in this case is that the size of the window sill will not increase much, but only by about 10 centimeters.
- The second option is to build up an existing window sill yourself. It has an almost indisputable advantage, since in this case its dimensions depend only on the preferences of the owner of the premises.
How to build up a window sill
When building up a window sill on your own, first of all, you need to carefully measure its length, depth and width.
Next, you should purchase all necessary materials, which include a board of the desired size, nails, screws, self-tapping screws, special brackets and corners for them, as well as several longer holders - brackets for the cornice.
It should be noted that the building process largely depends on the material from which the window sill is made. If it is wooden, you need to make a special groove in the front part, and cut a comb of the appropriate size from the edge of the prepared board. Next, 3-4 brackets should be screwed to the bottom of the window sill, each of which should be held by at least three screws, and the board should be attached to the brackets, driving the comb tightly into the groove. To increase the strength of this structure, it can also be attached with brackets to the wall on the sides.