Glazing of balconies

Glazed balconies and loggias not only look more neat, but also have protection from any weather changes, be it frost or heavy rains. There are many types of glazing available today. Each of them has its own individual characteristics, which every owner of his own apartment should know about.

In the process of repair work, loggias and balconies require special attention. This is due to their being at a high level. For the glazing of such structures, complex work is carried out.

All stages of the process depend on the area and location of the dwelling.... Apartments in "Khrushchevs" are small, so their tenants have always tried in every possible way to increase free space. Reducing the area of ​​the bathroom and kitchen rooms, as well as the demolition of internal partitions, were used. Many turn to a simpler method and glaze the balconies, which make the apartment more spacious and bright.

To decorate a balcony in such apartments, it is necessary to pre-strengthen the concrete slab with reinforcing mesh and cement screed. Initially, such structures are not designed for heavy loads, therefore, one simply cannot do without such reinforcing work.

You can also glaze a balcony or loggia in Stalinist houses. The apartments have high ceilings and are spacious. Such apartment buildings were built very reliable and durable. Many of them are now eighty years old, but they show no signs of destruction.

A distinctive feature of "Stalinok" is not only a large area, but also an unsurpassed facade. This feature must be taken into account so that the glazed balcony does not stand out from the overall picture and does not violate the original style.

Do not think that today the loggia can only be decorated with plastic. In fact, there are many other materials used in glazing. They have different properties and costs. Today, there are a large number of different companies on the market offering to design a balcony block for people with any budget.

Glazing is done only after several stages of work. You cannot bypass them, as it will be unsafe.

Balconies and loggias are designed in accordance with glazing designs. It can be cold or warm glazing.

The warm version is completely sealed. It has increased thermal insulation and protects the room from external noise.

Such glazing has not only frames with a multi-chamber glass unit isolated from the external environment, but also special insulators installed on the parapet, floor and ceiling.

Most often, this method is used if the balcony is combined with a living space. This allows you to significantly increase the area of ​​the apartment and make it more functional.

There is also a special glazing called cold. It is chosen only when the loggia needs to be protected from gusts of wind, snow, rain, debris from the streets and city dust.

Such systems are not warm. This system consists of cold profiles with glass. Profiles can be either wooden or aluminum.Self-made frames of various types are often used.

These designs look very neat and beautiful. They perfectly transmit light, visually making the apartment more spacious and comfortable.

There are different types of frames:

• Swing designs are among the most common and demanded. They were used in Soviet times and were made of wood. These windows function differently today.

• There is a swing opening, like classic wooden frames.

• Tilt opening is the opening of only the upper half of the sash (like a vertical window).
• In many systems, there is a function of opening in ventilation mode through a small slot.

Hinged sash opening is used in many ways of glazing balcony blocks.

If you decide to decorate the balcony this way, then you should know that wood and aluminum frames are lighter than PVC frames with swing opening.

It is impossible not to mention that a lot of space is needed for the open doors in the conditions of the balcony block. For many housewives, this significantly interferes in the process of cleaning or hanging clothes.

Recently very popular sliding doors ("Slidors")... They are most often used when installing aluminum frames. However, this does not mean that such designs cannot be present in plastic frames.

Sliding glazing is not very warm (regardless of the profile). It lets in noises from the street. These problems will not be solved even if your balcony is equipped with double-glazed windows. In this case, you can only count on semi-warm glazing.

A serious disadvantage of such windows is their susceptibility to freezing. If it's a frosty winter outside, the doors may freeze and simply won't open.

They cost much less than, for example, swing options.

Wooden and aluminum frames are slowly becoming a thing of the past. In their place comes frameless glazing (otherwise - panoramic). Such systems have many advantages, but they should only be installed by professionals.

Residents of both panel and brick houses can turn to such glazing.

By decorating your balcony in a similar way, you can get a spectacular view.... This solution is especially appropriate for houses located in picturesque areas.

These systems use tempered glass, which is very safe to use.

With such glazing, there will be a lot of free space on the balcony. Frameless glazing provides excellent sound insulation.

It is worth noting the fact that these systems do not have any fittings that have to be sent for repair from time to time.

The disadvantage of panoramic glasses is their increased light transmission. This property leads to the fact that the balcony gets very hot during the hot summer months. You can cope with such a problem with blinds.

Stained glass is suitable for original and non-trivial interiors. It is very lightweight, so even owners of very old buildings can use it. With such glasses, natural light will stand in the room.

This type of glazing can be confidently called universal. It is easily installed on balconies of different structures and any size.

Many people who turned to this design of the balcony have arranged a real winter garden on its territory.

Such systems also have some disadvantages. It is not very easy to wash them inside (due to their large size). As for the outer part, it can only be cleaned using a special ladder, but it is better to call specialists from a cleaning agency with all the necessary equipment.

In apartments on high floors, such glazing can vibrate with strong gusts of wind.

When glazing modern balconies and loggias, different materials are used. You can choose the appropriate option for any conditions.

One of the most popular is the plastic construction.... It is very simple, comfortable, aesthetic and durable.

In plastic structures, the sashes are hinged and retractable. They do not require special care and perfectly retain heat indoors. Protects such glazing from annoying street noise. The installation of such systems is quite simple.

Choosing such glazing, you should know that it is quite heavy and airtight when closed.

Wood is another popular material. Structures made from such raw materials were also used in the past - before the advent of plastic profiles.

Wooden frames these days are very different from those used in the past. They not only have an "expensive" appearance, but also have a completely different design. These systems have micropores that allow the frames to "breathe". This characteristic will contribute to the freshness on the balcony.

The main advantage of wooden frames is their environmental friendliness. They do not exude unpleasant odors and are absolutely safe for the health of all family members.

They are lightweight, so owners of old and small apartments can turn to them.

The main disadvantage of such systems is their cost. Onot expensive enough, so not everyone can afford them.

Over time, the wood will dry out, leading to cracks. Wooden frames need to be constantly looked after: they should be covered with special impregnations or varnish. However, even this will not save the structure from burning out and losing its original appearance.

If none of the above types of balcony block design suits you, then you should take a closer look at the structures with aluminum frames. They are very durable, and they have no equal in durability.

Both cold and warm glazing can be made of this metal. In most cases, these systems have sliding mechanisms for opening the sash, which take up very little space on the territory of the balcony or loggia.

Such glazing is inexpensive and lightweight.... Modern manufacturers offer systems with profiles of different colors. They do not corrode and are not afraid of corrosive chemicals.

The disadvantage of these types of glazing is their poor sound insulation.

You must first decide on how exactly you are going to glaze your balcony:

• If you decide to turn to the cold type of glazing, then be prepared for the fact that the room temperature on the balcony will not be maintained.
• Warm glazing will be able to maintain room temperature in any season.
• The French type implies glazing along the entire perimeter of the balcony and its height.For this method, only durable tinted glass is used.

After that, you need to decide on a profile. The most popular are PVC windows, but you can choose from aluminum or wood options. PVC glazing should not be used if you live in an old house, as it is very heavy. If you nevertheless decide to decorate the balcony with this method, then it is better to entrust it to professionals.

Choose an aluminum profile for cold glazing. This design is most often used by apartment owners who do not need to keep the balcony warm.

It is also necessary to decide on the method of glazing.

The take-out option will provide visual spaciousness of the interior space. This effect is achieved by removing the window profile.

If you want to turn to frameless glazing, then you get a large window without frames and partitions.

Before buying windows, you should calculate their sizes... To do this, you can use a regular tape measure. Measure the distance from the parapet to the ceiling, as well as from one wall to another. Today, many window companies themselves send their own master to the facility to take measurements.

Next, you need to remove the glass unit from the windows. For opening sashes, this need not be done. This is due to the severity of the double-glazed windows and the possibility of their damage during installation.

Dismantling PVC windows is simple: remove the plastic glazing beads and remove the glass

The glass is removed from the aluminum frame after removing all the opening parts.

It is necessary to deal with strengthening the balcony block and its supporting structure. Along the perimeter, you can place special parts made of timber, which will take on the main load from frames and glasses.

For a more aesthetic appearance, it is worthwhile to deal with the outer cladding of the block. To do this, you can stock up on siding, since this material is not afraid of sunlight and is durable.

It is worth remembering that the exterior cladding must be dealt with before glazing. If you do the opposite, it will be much more difficult to sheathe the block with siding, and calling specialists with climbing equipment will cost a tidy sum.

How to sheathe a balcony outside yourself, see the video below.

It is worth starting such work if you have at least minimal knowledge and skills in this area. If you doubt your abilities, then it is better to entrust this matter to professionals.

For covering the balcony you need:

• Make fastening belts from wooden beams - upper and lower. Next, siding will be attached to them.
• Bars need to be attached to the wall (using liquid nails). They should be connected to each other using iron corners.
• Then you can start installing the siding. You need to start from the side parts. Do not over-tighten the screws. They should be left in the middle of the hole.
• After completing the installation of the panels, you need to hide all the screw heads. This can be done using platbands.

Balconies and loggias with a take-out can be equipped with a roof (visor). All this must be installed before direct glazing. First you need to attach the visor to the ceiling using dowel nails. After it is securely fastened, you can start glazing.

Before this, it is recommended to fix the anchor plates on all sides, except for the bottom.

How to install the visor, see the video below.

After the external design of the balcony block, you can proceed directly to its glazing.

First you need to install the stand profile and insert the frame into the grooves. The retainer plate must be driven securely into the grooves and rotated ninety degrees to secure it to the concrete wall.

Next, you need to install the frames in the opening. As smoothly and accurately as possible, this can be done using the usual level. You can fix the frame with self-tapping screws. They need to be screwed in, but not driven in.

Once all the frames are in place, they should be attached to the parapet, ceiling and walls with anchors. After that, you need to close up all the cracks. Ordinary polyurethane foam will help you here.

It remains to insert glass into the frames. After that, you need to check the serviceability of all mechanisms.

All stages of glazing a balcony for more details, see the video below.

Stained glass glazing of a large loggia will look very "expensive" and attractive - especially if all frames are white. On such a block, you can place a couple of small soft chairs with a wooden base, a round coffee table and a cabinet against the side wall.

The frameless glazing of the loggia can be supplemented with a wrought-iron parapet. It can be light or contrasting. Such details should be addressed to the owners of apartments on the high floors of new buildings.

Panoramic glazing looks great on large and medium sized balconies. Opposite the high light windows, you can put wooden contrasting chairs and tables with flowers. In such a room you can relax and rest a little, especially if a picturesque picture opens up outside the window.

Modern buyers have a large selection of glazing options. You can choose the right option for any balcony and wallet.

People are delighted with stained glass and panoramic glass. Details like this look really luxurious. Many people advise blinds to cover the room a little. Such balconies attract a lot of attention, and passers-by often do not hesitate to look at everything through large glass.

Often on such balconies you can observe real flower beds, made up of different pots and racks, strewn with colorful colorful buds.

Wooden frames are distinguished by their excellent appearance... Apartment owners often turn to them, as they are environmentally friendly and beautiful. However, many note the inconvenience in the operation of such frames. They need to be constantly tinted and varnished, which still does not save the wood from drying out and cracking.

Most consumers recommend turning to warm glazing. This method allows room temperature to be kept on the balcony even in winter. However, the owners of such balcony blocks note that in hot weather it becomes stuffy and uncomfortable in the room.

Plastic windows are unlikely to lose their relevance. Many owners turn to them, since they are notable for their low price and are very common. They serve for many years without losing their attractive appearance. People only noticed that fittings in such structures fail from time to time, and they have to be changed.