Just as no apartment or house is complete without windows, windows are nowhere without window sills, the exception being floor-to-ceiling panoramic glazing, when part of the wall is replaced with double-glazed windows. In all other cases, a window sill is a mandatory window unit, a decorative element, and free space that can be used in various ways. Today, this interior element is made from various materials, and the white classic is generously diluted with bright shades, and the shape is not always a rectangle.
Mini office
A table instead of a window sill saves space in the room.
Most of us need at least a small work desk, and a windowsill is a great alternative. It can be extended along the entire wall or limited to one window if you need a compact home office. This solution frees up space in the room and makes it more spacious due to the fact that you don’t have to put a table in the room.
A wide window sill will successfully replace a computer desk.
If the window is large, you can add shelves or even small narrow cabinets on the sides, and if the tabletop is wide enough, you can place a bedside table underneath it. Another option is to add thickness to the window sill and build into it a drawer for storing stationery and other necessary small items.
What types of window sills are there and their features?
Today, the technology for manufacturing window sills from almost any material has been established: from cheap plastic to exclusive natural stone, rare species of mahogany. Each option has advantages and disadvantages.
PVC window sill
Plastic window sills are a logical addition to plastic windows. Most often they are used by developers or offered by manufacturers of window structures. Despite their low cost and simple design, PVC window sills have a large number of advantages:
- Not afraid of water and moisture. Plastic is an absolutely hydrophobic material: it does not absorb water, does not swell or deteriorate from prolonged contact with it.
- They are characterized by high strength. The product, at least 20 mm thick, is made of thick polyvinyl chloride and reinforced with stiffeners. It is impossible to break it, the maximum is to break the surface with a strong blow from a heavy object.
- Presented in a large assortment. Plastic and products made from it can be not only different colors, but also textures: for example, imitation wood or stone. The coating can be glossy, matte, or satin.
- Easy to care for. PVC can be cleaned with chemical detergents. High hygienic properties allow it to be used in kitchens, children's rooms, and bathrooms.
Important! To avoid scratches, do not use abrasives for washing, even the smallest ones like melamine sponges.
To ensure that the plastic panel lasts as long as possible, choose models with a surface made of acrylic resin film. They cost more than economy class, but they look better and are resistant to high temperatures, mechanical stress, do not scratch or fade in the sun.
Wooden window sill
Even simple products will cost more than plastic, but they will definitely look better. In some styles (country, Provence) wooden window sills are completely irreplaceable. The use of different woods affects more than just the appearance. The service life directly depends on it.
Wooden window sills are made from solid inexpensive pine, durable larch, heavy oak and other species. The stronger the source material, the more resistant it is to external influences.
Advantages of installing a wooden window sill panel:
- Environmental friendliness. You can be sure that you will not receive even a small dose of harmful substances.
- Durability. With proper processing, even cheap pine lasts 8-10 years, not to mention oak or walnut.
- Great processing capabilities. It is easy to give the tree the desired shape - so the window sill can be made not only square, but also semicircular or beveled.
The disadvantages are swelling with prolonged contact with water, cracks from drying out due to improper care, and require regular care. The frequency of updating the protective layer depends on what the wood is coated with during installation (varnish, oil, wax).
In the photo, window decoration with natural wood
Window sill made of stone
Stone window sills are perhaps the most durable.
- Firstly, the stone does not deform due to changes in temperature and humidity.
- Secondly, reliable granite or marble will not crack even from a careless blow.
- Thirdly, the choice of colors and designs is limited only by budget: from inexpensive quartz to bright onyx. Window sills made from artificial stone have an even wider range: the price, unlike natural stone, does not depend on the structure.
There are not many negative aspects - the main disadvantage is the price. The products will cost 1.5-2 times more than wooden ones. Moreover, both natural plates and composites have a high cost.
Some types of stones cannot come into contact with acids - therefore, before choosing marble for the work area under the kitchen window, you should carefully evaluate the pros and cons.
The photo shows an example of artificial granite
Window sill made of MDF/chipboard
To imagine what the future window sill will look like, remember what standard MDF countertops look like. Firmly compressed sawdust is an excellent option for creating a smooth, beautiful surface.
Thanks to the ability to laminate the surface, a huge selection of colors and textures is achieved: plain, wood, stone, concrete. The film performs not only a decorative, but also a protective function, protecting sawdust from water or moisture. However, the ends still remain open and even special plugs will not prevent swelling upon direct contact with water.
Decorative film is also easy to wash, it does not absorb dirt, and is not afraid of acids and bleaches. But it scratches easily - so it is not recommended to use abrasives in maintenance.
When choosing between chipboard and MDF, give preference to the second option: it is stronger, does not emit harmful formaldehydes, and is more resistant to high humidity (although constant or prolonged contact with water will still lead to swelling of the filler).
Resting-place
A sofa and a mini-table are practical and convenient.
Low, wide window sills easily turn into mini-sofas. You just need to add a soft mattress, pillows, a blanket or a faux fur blanket and you can relax while sipping hot coffee and admiring the scenery outside the window. On such a windowsill it is convenient to read books or work on a laptop: during the day there is good natural light, and in the evening a specially built-in backlight will help out.
Instead of a window sill, the owners built in a sofa and a small table.
How to use a classic wide window sill
A classic window sill can become a small cozy corner in the living room or bedroom. All you need to do is make sure it's comfortable enough. This can be solved with a few statement pillows.
The classic window sill does not always fit a good seat due to its usually narrow size. To solve this problem, you can build a wide wooden window frame, but it will require some investment, at least in time.
Bar counter
A wide window sill is a worthy alternative to a dining table.
There is never any extra space in the kitchen, and in small apartments it is absolutely tiny. Because of this, there is almost no space left for the dining area and often you have to literally squeeze past the table, trying not to hit the furniture. You can free up space by making the window sill a bar counter. Width doesn’t matter: even a narrow surface will fit a couple of cups and plates. You just need to add high chairs that match the style of the kitchen interior - and the bar counter is ready. And with a sufficient width of the window sill, you will get an almost complete dining area.
A window sill as a bar counter is a good solution for small kitchens.
If the apartment has a large glazed loggia, you can also equip a bar counter there, stretching a wide window sill around the entire perimeter or placing it in only one area. If you put a couple of comfortable chairs, you can relax comfortably on a summer evening, admiring the views and sipping a drink from a glass.
In the bedroom
In a small bedroom there is also a practical use for a window sill. It will make a wonderful dressing table, in favor of which you can put forward a strong argument: applying makeup is much more convenient in natural light.
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Of course, you can’t do without lamps, since you often have to take care of your face in the evening. Sometimes they are built into the side window slopes, and sometimes a table lamp with a rotating shade is used.
To create a dressing table, you need to replace the existing window sill with a wider one. A problem may arise with the installation of the mirror.
To prevent it from obscuring the window glass, it is mounted on one of the slopes using a mirror holder with a rotating mechanism.
Since regular fabric curtains can get in the way when applying makeup, roller blinds or Roman blinds are used instead.
Tabletop
Extending the tabletop along the window increases the working surface for cooking.
If there is not enough space in the kitchen, the work surface can be expanded by removing the window sill and placing a countertop instead. The result is a comfortable cooking area with maximum natural light and the opportunity to contemplate the scenery if there is a beautiful view from the window. A simpler option is not to remove the window sill, but to add a tabletop to it and finish the surface with the same material.
A window sill-table top completes the design.
If space allows, you can place some small cabinet or shelves under the window sill-countertop. You can also send household appliances there: an oven or a dishwasher.
Robiband
What is Robiband?
Robiband is a system of sealing materials for installing windows and any other light-transparent structures in accordance with the requirements of state standards (GOST). These standards describe how and using what components translucent structures should be installed so that it meets all the parameters necessary for the consumer. Including such as long-term operation, sound insulation, absence of fogging, blowing, freezing and other negative effects. The use of Robiband materials during window installation makes it possible to take into account all these factors, including providing the consumer with an installation guarantee for a period of AT LEAST 20 years.
Kitchen sink
A sink by the window is a trend that is gaining popularity in both private homes and apartments.
If you look at photographs of kitchens in foreign apartments and especially private houses, you will notice such a technique as placing a sink under the window. For Western countries, this is a fairly popular design solution, even if there is no need to expand the usable area. For Russia, such a location for placing a sink is unconventional, since, as a rule, a radiator is installed under the window.
While washing dishes by the window, you can watch what the children are doing in the yard.
But in recent years, and in our latitudes, installing a sink instead of a window sill has become a trend in kitchen design in private homes. In apartments this is more difficult: you will have to transfer communications. However, everything can be solved if competent specialists are involved in the work.
What are these parts of the window area for?
Slopes and window sills serve decorative purposes and give the window opening a finished, neat appearance. In addition to aesthetic characteristics, the design acts as a means of additional protection, ensuring durability and safety of the surface after installation work. Window sills with slopes perform the following tasks:
- sealing joints over the entire area of the window opening;
- protection of polyurethane foam from peeling;
- hydro-, thermo-, dust insulation of seams;
- protection from drafts due to additional insulation (find out how you can make a warm window sill);
- uniform distribution of air flow when installing heating systems;
- concealment of installation work, fasteners, linings;
- drainage of condensate from the wall;
- soundproofing.
Storage system
Nightstands will work well under a wide window sill.
Most often, window sills are used as a place to store various small items. It looks ugly and adds a touch of clutter to the interior, even if all other things are in their place. Why not develop the idea and equip a full-fledged storage space? Under a wide window sill you can stack several beautiful baskets with lids or a bedside table on wheels.
A chest of drawers plus a sitting area is a good replacement for a window sill.
A more advanced option is to equip built-in shelves or a chest of drawers, made to order according to individual sizes.
Romantic and festive window decoration
Your windowsills will instantly become more romantic with the addition of a few candles, LED string lights or freshly cut flowers. This window decoration will give you a wonderful mood on any calm evening or rainy day.
Methods for installing plastic or other elements
The block is installed in different ways. The four most common are:
- Fastening the structure using an adhesive composition. Use assembly glue or liquid nails. The frame or finished panels are pressed against the base, which is pre-treated with glue from a construction gun. Nowadays it is rarely used due to the emergence of more reliable fastening methods.
- Fastening with self-tapping screws . A universal option, simple, reliable. The panels are screwed into the base with pre-prepared holes. Additional reinforcement of the structure is provided by special linings with polyurethane foam.
- Fastening with metal brackets. The window sill block is installed in the groove between the window and the bracket, and then screwed with self-tapping screws to the profile decking.
- Fixing the structure with wedges. The panels are pressed tightly against the frame, compacted with special pads, until the structure reaches the maximum level of density, securely anchored in the base. The method does not involve the use of additional tools, brackets, springs or screws, since the slabs are securely fixed in the wall due to their own weight.
No. 6. Window sill made of wood-polymer composite (WPC)
Terrace boards, which are used as flooring on balconies and terraces, are used for arranging garden paths and areas near the pool, and can easily serve as a window sill. The material is made from organic or mineral filler (sawdust, wood flour, fiberglass) and a binder material, which is used as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and less often grain starch. Coloring occurs either in bulk or after the product is created. The mixture is used to form boards that are distinguished by their characteristic relief and the presence of voids inside.
This production technology allows us to talk about the following advantages of WPC window sills:
- absolute resistance to moisture, fungus, temperature changes;
- high strength;
- resistance to sunlight;
- variety of colors.
