Cold glazing of balconies

If you want to protect your balcony block from negative environmental factors, but are not ready to spend large sums of money on it, then cold glazing would be the ideal option. Outwardly, it is in no way inferior to warm, but it costs much less and has a number of significant advantages.

The main advantage of such glazing is its low weight. This means that you can install such a structure in absolutely any balcony. It can be a fresh new building or an old building with a dilapidated facade.

Cold glazing will not do any harm even to a worn out concrete floor. In this, it is ahead of warm structures, the weight of which allows them to be installed in far from every building.

Such windows are installed easily and quickly. To do this, it is not necessary to turn to specialists and pay extra money. Installation of cold glazing on the balcony can be done independently. You don't have to be an experienced builder to do this. Even a beginner can handle all stages of work.

It is worth noting the interesting design of such structures. They can have different colors. With the help of such details, you can create an attractive and harmonious room.

Cold glazing is distinguished by its durability and strength. Even after many years, it will not lose its attractive appearance and will not create any problems. Such windows are environmentally friendly. They do not emit unpleasant odors or harmful substances even under the influence of high outdoor temperatures.

But such designs also have a number of disadvantages that you need to know about if you decide on such a finish:

• The very name of this glazing speaks of its essence. It will always be cold on a balcony with such windows. In the winter season, the temperature in the inner part will not differ much from the outside one, so it will not be possible to be in such conditions all year round.
• It is impossible to make a full-fledged living room from a balcony with cold glazing and increase the functional area of ​​the apartment. This fact upsets many owners of small-sized homes.
• This option for finishing the room does not have good soundproofing characteristics. You will constantly hear street noises and howling winds. This problem can be partially solved with the help of a high-quality plastic door leading to the balcony. As a rule, such parts have good sound insulation properties.
• Rooms with cold structures are easily blown through and there are always drafts in them. This disadvantage is due to simple single glazing, which cannot provide high-quality sealing of the space.
• As a rule, in this design there are very strong and reliable aluminum frames equipped with sliding opening and closing mechanisms. At low temperatures, such parts often freeze or become covered with ice crusts. This can lead to complications in opening and closing the flaps.

Today, there are only two types of light cold glazing - these include mounting on an outboard balcony structure and standard glazing without overhang.

In the first option, the installation of window structures with solid aluminum frames is carried out using balcony railings or wooden bars attached to the railing.

This installation can be done by yourself. The end result will delight you with its reliability and durability if all the work is done correctly.

Remote structures significantly expand the space of the balcony block. This effect is achieved due to the removal of window structures outside the balcony. In this case, glazing takes place as follows:

• Strong metal brackets are welded to the balcony railings from the outside. Their length should not exceed 400 mm and be less than 250 mm.
• Similar brackets must be installed on the upper sections of the balcony.
• Now you need to attach support bars to them.
• Window structures should be installed on the beams. You will have a large free space between the glazing and the balcony railing, which should be covered with a wide window sill.

Balcony outriggers are a good solution for small apartments. You can end up with a very cozy summer room in which you can equip a small seating area or a corner for reading your favorite books.

It is worth mentioning that the installation of glazing on such balconies is not the easiest and fastest. If you do not fasten the brackets firmly and securely, then the entire structure may be damaged. It is recommended to contact a specialist for a similar design of a balcony block.

Cold glazing is framed and frameless:

• In the frame version, wear-resistant aluminum profiles are most often used. They are lightweight and practical. Such windows are cheap, so many apartment owners can afford them. It is worth noting the excellent light transmittance of glazing with aluminum frames, which wooden and plastic structures cannot boast of.
• Beautiful frameless glazing will cost a little more. This design of balcony rooms has been popular recently. There are no frames in these designs, so they are lightweight. There are options for the full disclosure of the balcony.

Many people believe that cold glazing is in many ways inferior to warm and all its advantages are more than overlap with disadvantages. In fact, this is not the case. If you are not going to convert a balcony room into a functional living room and use it all year round, then aluminum glazing will be the perfect solution for you.

These conditions are perfect for storing canned vegetables and vegetables. Often, apartment owners set up a beautiful winter garden in such areas. Many plants will feel comfortable in such an environment, since even in the winter season there will be a plus (albeit small) temperature on the balcony.

Warm and cold glazing, first of all, differ from each other in their functions. They turn to the first option for ennobling the premises and converting it into a living room. The second option is aimed exclusively at protecting the balcony block from dirt, dust and precipitation.

They turn to the warm glazing option if year-round operation of the balcony room is planned. In such conditions, it constantly maintains a favorable microclimate that persists at any time of the year.

The main disadvantage of warm windows is their heavy weight. They cannot be installed in an old house. Many owners of small-sized "Khrushchevs" would like to equip their balconies with such glazing, but the technical condition of the concrete floors makes installation impossible.

Warm glazing is much more difficult to install than cold glazing. It is extremely rarely assembled by hand. More often people turn to window firms, which send professional teams to install such structures.

Another significant difference between warm and cold glazing is their cost. The first option is more expensive, so not all owners can afford it. Cold glazing is much cheaper and more common.

Cold glazing with an aluminum profile can be installed by hand. You don't have to be knowledgeable about construction issues to do this.

You should adhere to a certain step-by-step plan, and you will get a strong and reliable design:

• First you need to carry out the preparatory work. If there is old glazing on the balcony, then it should be dismantled. The old railings must be removed from the fences and the open frame must be cleaned of accumulations of dust and debris.

• Installation of frames will be easier and faster if you install special support bars.

• The bars must be attached to the walls and the fence in the places where the aluminum profiles are supposed to be fastened.

• After that, you can start creating the frame. Beforehand, it is necessary to pull out all glasses and loose parts from the frames, if possible. The next step is to attach the mounting plates. They need to be screwed on, adhering to an approximate step of 70 cm.

• Next, you can install the frame on the pre-attached bars. It must be strong and secure with spacer blocks. The frame must be aligned in all planes - this can be done using wood wedges and a regular level.

• Now you can start attaching the frame around the perimeter. Use a hammer to bend the mounting plate to the attachment point. After that, using a punch, you need to make a hole in the wall through the hole in the plank.

• After completing the installation of cold glazing, you need to start sealing the gap separating the frame and the wall. If you do everything carefully and correctly, then the balcony room will be a little warmer in winter or rainy autumn.

• From the outside, an ebb must be attached to a wooden block. Inside, a window sill should be constructed using bent slats and brackets. At the junction of the window sill board and the window, you need to go through the sealant.

If you did everything correctly, then you should have a reliable and durable construction that will last for many years.

A more detailed installation process for cold aluminum structures can be seen in the following video:

People who choose cold glazing are most often satisfied with it:

• They deliberately make a choice in favor of such a design, since they do not plan to use the balcony room all year round.
• Many apartment owners note the low cost of such windows. Money is saved not only on the glazing itself, but also on its installation, since the installation can be done by hand.
• In summer, it is not hot on such balconies, so people often arrange small recreation areas there.

Another significant advantage of cold aluminum glazing was noticed by consumers: with this design, the apartment became much brighter. Visually, this effect expands the space, so the apartment seems more spacious.