Balcony glazing

An apartment with a balcony is always an advantage. After all, the balcony can be perceived not only as a place for drying clothes or storing stocks for the winter, but also as a space that expands the area of ​​the apartment. But if it is not glazed, then its functionality is immediately reduced.

Such a balcony cannot be used in the cold season or in rainy weather, and debris, cigarette butts and other “troubles” constantly fall on top of the balcony space. Therefore, it is wiser to glaze your balcony, thus making it an ideal place to relax and store your things. About what types of glazing exist, and how to do it yourself, you will learn from this article.

Glazing of the loggia or balcony can be done with a warm or cold method.

Since the times of the Soviet Union, the cold method has been the most popular.. If you do not plan to use the space as an alternative to living quarters (for example, to place a study or a mini-greenhouse there), then you can stop at this option.Glazing the balcony in this way allows you to protect it from street dust and dirt, as well as from all sorts of debris that often flies or falls from the upper floors. The temperature with this type of glazing will be significantly below room temperature, but above zero. In winter, it will not be possible to fully relax here, but in the summer you will be able to set up a chair and a table without fearing that the sudden rain will ruin your tea party.

Also on such a balcony it will be convenient to store blanks for winter time and all kinds of vegetables or fruits. The cool temperature perfectly helps to ensure that all products are kept in good condition and do not deteriorate.

Glazing the balcony in this way is possible using solid wood frames, or aluminum profiles. It can be supplemented with opening flaps of various types. Traditional options are swivel or swing-out doors. More modern - sliding.

For cold glazed balconies, simple wooden frames with pivoting doors, supplemented with single glass, are most often chosen. They are not too expensive, and pleasantly pleased with their environmental friendliness.But we must remember that the tree has a huge drawback - it requires constant care.

Under the influence of rain or bad weather, a tree can deteriorate very quickly. It will eventually deteriorate and rot, so this option is considered very impractical. However, if you pick up expensive and high-quality wood treated with special solutions, then you will not have to worry about the condition of your balcony for several years or even decades in a row. In addition, wooden frames can be self-coated with special solutions or paint over.

The small balcony is better to warm with a simple aluminum profile with sliding doors. Roller blades save space. However, to implement this type of glazing is not always. To do this, you need to agree with the professionals who will tell you whether you can realize sliding glazing in the conditions of your apartment.

Another drawback of sliding doors is that they are not well suited for our climate. In severe frosts, the mechanism that ensures the normal operation of the sliding doors can freeze, and you can no longer breathe fresh air by opening the balcony window.

In addition to cold glazing, there is also a warm one. It provides for the installation of frames with double glass. This allows you to make a glazed balcony almost complete room. To install a double glazed profile, you no longer need any additional permission. Repair and plating can be carried out independently, without the help of specialists.

Reviews confirm that a balcony glazed in this way really helps to expand living space. There you can lay laminate, glue wallpaper and use additional decor tools. Thus, the internal space of the balcony will become as cozy as any other room in your apartment. On a par with how we warm the balcony, you need to take care that there is not too hot in the summer. This can be solved with a simple air conditioner, which is not difficult to choose.

For finishing of balconies today different materials are used. The most common ones are plastic, wood and aluminum. Also used is such an option as a full glass or even a mirror coating.To understand what is best for you, check out the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The easiest and most affordable is glazing with plastic. A simple plastic frame with a two-chamber or even a single-chamber double-glazed window will make your balcony quite cozy and warm. In addition, it will provide adequate noise insulation and annoying sounds from the street will not interfere with your rest and sleep.

This option “economy” is also good because even without additional painting it looks attractive and well maintained. The disadvantages of PVC coating can be attributed to its large weight. Also, often trying to deceive consumers, slipping substandard material at an attractive price. To avoid such an unsuccessful purchase, try contacting trusted manufacturers.

Another popular option is the glazing of the balcony with an aluminum profile. It is much lighter than plastic and much thinner. Outwardly, these two options are very similar, since most often the aluminum profile is produced in a universal white color. But for an extra charge you can order any other colors.

You can find aluminum profiles with a cold or warm type of glazing. In the first case, the aluminum base is supplemented with single glass, and in the second - with the so-called thermal bridge. This is a special insulating insert that allows you to keep the maximum heat in the room. The design with a metal profile is much lighter than plastic.

The only drawback is that high-quality aluminum glazing will cost you twice as much plastic.

The most budget project is a glazed balcony, complemented by wooden frames. Naturally, a cold glazing is obtained with wood. Yes, and to fully protect your balcony from the cold and noise, such a design can not. But for a family with a small budget, this option is quite suitable.

You can also consider the option of partial glazing with wood. The combination of metal and wooden frames allows you to save without sacrificing quality. Yes, and visually this combination looks very good.

If you decide to glaze a balcony, pay attention to the fact that this can be done in several ways.In addition to insulation, glass on the balcony can perform a decorative function, making the room lighter, or diluting its design, the main thing is to install it correctly.

The lightest will turn out to be a balcony with huge windows on the whole wall. Panoramic glazing of a balcony implies just the use of glass exclusively. In this case, no frames are installed, and the whole space from the floor to the ceiling consists entirely of transparent glass.

This design looks interesting due to the fact that it seems as if there is no glass at all, and the illusion of a completely open space is created. With the expansion of the space in this way, you will get an excellent room for relaxing or creating a small winter garden.

For panoramic glazing of a balcony, specially treated glass is used. It is covered with a special metal oxide. The glass itself should be quite thick or even double. In this case, it not only will not be subjected to all sorts of mechanical damage, but also well keep cold and noise.

This type of glazing is often used in rooms with a non-standard design.Looks like a balcony, treated in such a way, very beautiful. Glazing in this way can be classic balconies, and round or semi-circular. This design option is often used in new buildings located in the city center or NEAD, and not in Stalin or Khrushchev.

Find materials for glazing a balcony in this way can be using materials from the company Rehau or VEKA. Both brands produce not only eurowindows, but also high-quality double-glazed windows for the entire wall, which will last you for a long time. Here you can find both glass doors and high-grade double-glazed windows used for glazing the front part of the balcony.

Another interesting system is the combination of high-quality double-glazed windows with frames made of transparent aluminum. This frameless glazing is very similar to the previous version, but cheaper and more practical.

Sliding glass to the floor, complemented by thin aluminum frames, looks good and modern. You can find materials for this type of glazing with many Finnish or German brands. In addition, good seamless aluminum sliding profiles are produced by companies such as Vanguard or Provedal.

Due to the remote glazing can further increase the space of the balcony. Glass with removal can be used both in new buildings and in standard houses of the KOPE series. For small-sized premises, better known under the name “boat”, windows from SLIDORS company are optimally suited. If you want to support the domestic manufacturer, then pay attention to the company Kaleva.

Speaking about the appearance of the balconies, it is impossible not to mention the various types of decoration of glass surfaces. Glass can be decorated with tinting. "Bus" glass of this type can be ordered, for example, from the company "Comfort Plus". Window tinting will cost extra money, but the effect provided by this coating is pleasantly pleasing: your balcony will be hidden from prying eyes, and the glass will acquire an unusual tint.

Another interesting option - stained glass, consisting of small colored parts. Stained glass can be a separate insert on the balcony glass, or even the entire window space. It all depends on your preferences and what your budget. Glazing the balcony in this way can be professionals from many companies, for example, the company Stroy.

But not always for glazing a balcony need the help of experts.Glazing the balcony can and do it yourself. If you do not know how best and most correctly to do this, then we offer you a simple instruction.

Whatever type of glazing you choose, the very first stage on which the end result depends is the measurement. To make the measurements accurate, first dismantle all the old parts of the glazing. Such training will allow the installation of a new design from scratch. After that, you can proceed to making the necessary calculations.

First, using a tape measure, measure the height from the parapet and to the ceiling. In the case of panoramic glazing - from the floor. Then measure the distance between the walls. As a rule, this space is from 3 to 6 meters wide.

The horizontal of the parapet also needs to be rechecked. This is done using the level. The location of the bisector should be perfectly smooth. If the parapet is at least a little uneven, then the frame you have bought may simply not fit. When you have this information on hand, you can, using a calculator and the requirements of modern GOST, calculate how much material you will need.

However, professional firms still send their specialists to the place. So, regardless of whether you calculated everything on your own, they still do it additionally for you. Such a re-check is necessary to make sure that the material chosen by you is suitable in terms of weight and mounting features for installation in your apartment. After all, very often we focus not on the existing realities, but on some pictures that inspire us to repair. And the result of the repair in these cases is very disappointing.

In some cases, for glazing a balcony you may need to redevelop the room, replace individual parts of the structure or, for example, dismantle the parapet.

The first step in glazing a balcony is preparation. The technology for different balconies is different. When glazing balconies in a private house and in the five-story building, the process will be different. So in the panel "Khrushchev" balconies are usually not very durable. Therefore, they should be strengthened by closing the gap in the parapet with a fixed galvanized sheet.

In the "Stalinist" houses, too, it is usually worth working on preparing the basis of the balcony for the installation of glass.It is better to replace the existing parapet with a new one so that the design is more durable. Laying out a new parapet after dismantling the old one is not that difficult, as long as all the bricks lie flat, creating a horizontal line - this will ultimately save you from problems with the installation of the window frame.

When the frame is ready, it is the turn of installation of the window block. To do this, you will need to remove the glass from the frames. To do this additional work is necessary, first of all, in order to make it easier to mount the frame. It weighs a lot more with glass.

Manufacturers take into account this moment, and do not fix the beadings to the end. They are very easily drawn out. Pull the bead need to until he completely jumps out. Glasses removed from the frame must be placed on a clean floor.

Next you need to remove the sash from the frame, and attach the support profile to the underside of the frame. After indenting fifteen centimeters from each edge of the frame, fasten the fixing plate. It is attached with screws and a drill.

When all the mounts are installed, it's time to move on to the frame mount. It’s almost impossible to do this yourself, so it’s better to ask someone you know for help.The frame must be installed in the opening, leveled and fixed with screws, choosing small samples for this purpose. Screws do not need to drive into the area that you want to fasten, and twist.

It is more correct to assemble a full-fledged frame, securing its parts separately. The frame is fixed to the parapet, walls and ceiling with anchors that are buried in a concrete or brick surface per centimeter. When the construction is assembled, it is necessary to fill all the gaps. This will provide additional insulation of the balcony and the strengthening of the structure itself.

Next you need to insert the double-glazed windows back into the frame. Install the first and second circuit at once, if any. When the double-glazed windows are installed, you need to fix the tilt and turn hinges on the hinges. When all the details of the construction are fixed, it is necessary to check its working capacity.