Home Finishes – Comfort And Aesthetics
O house easily stands out thanks to a special architectural line which imparts a strong note of personality. But beyond the ensemble of lines and shapes, finishes, both exterior and interior, truly join forces to give a home a distinct feature while enhancing comfort, not solely the general aspect. We sat down to talk to Vladimir Ghiga, an architect with Uberhause.ro about the role finishes play when it comes to having a perfect home.
“Quality finishes enhance the comfort of a house. At the same time, it is really important that the exterior aspect, the chromatics of the facades, are concordant with the type of finishes. If we only covered a project from the juridical perspective, without recommending technologies or finishes, when we go visit the construction site it’s highly likely we see a lot of irregularities. That is a lot of inconsistencies between the 3D plan and the reality and this is not right. But people have started showing more attention and trust alike. And then, even if correction are not stipulated in a contract, we make them for free because they make the visual difference in the end”, he said.
“For this very reason, clients have to constantly talk to the architect and his/her team about any problem because this is after all a long term investment. If they are confident and see the architect as a partner in all this process, things will end up well. If they ignore his/her advice, the customers may do well on a long term, but on a long one, costs will be much higher. Because an architect doesn’t only study design in college, but also acoustics, interior design, marketing, special materials and finishes, so the architect comes with a solid expertise, has the overall view of a home. Let alone the juridical counselling”, the interlocutor also pointed out.
For a long term effect, finishes need an adequate bases, Vladimir Ghiga further explained. “First of all, just as we see all over the place, a good finishing work starts from a good thermal insulation. Since many people use polystyrene, we recommend one with a higher density which calls for a fiber adhesive. What is particular about this adhesive is that it allows facades to keep the color of the stucco finishes for a much longer time, unlike the classical adhesive which is more frangible. It is indeed a little more expensive, but not the most expensive solution to keep facades good looking for long”, he added.
But what the options when it comes to exterior finishes? “Well, stucco remains the most often used solution, while for the premium finishes we turn to trespa and klinker. For the houses featuring a classical architecture, generally more expensive and therefore involving a more generous budget, we use special finishes such natural stone, generally in light colors. The decorative brick is being replaced by the klinker”, he further explained.
“Both exterior finishes and the insulation play a very important role, but most of the customer channel their money toward the interior finishes. Of late, they started showing interest into landscaping as well. Over all, as a general conclusion concerning the exterior finishes, people prefer stucco sprinkled with small insertions of expensive materials. A simple and affordable choice”, he also said.
Things are entirely different when it comes to interiors. “Customers tend to show more interest in interior finishes. Wallpapers is back in fashion again, for instance. In many cases, an imposing wall in the living is usually covered with wallpaper or painted differently so to make it stand out visually. And since more and more people turn to radiant floor heating, they also opt for large ceramic tiles. Again, for the classic style homes, people choose a hardwood floor. In the bathroom, mosaic and the fresh look are back in fashion, with turquoise and pink the hues of choice”, the architect concluded.
