On the territory of the Soviet Union, few people knew what French balconies were. This architectural creation was practically not found in typical high-rise buildings. And only in recent years, when developers began to use European design, forged French balconies began to decorate the facades of houses. Before laying this type of window or balcony in a building construction or reconstruction project, you need to familiarize yourself with all its positive and negative sides.
How the idea of the French balcony came about
It is known that a floor-to-ceiling window with a small wrought-iron fence protruding from the facade wall by 14-20 cm was called a French balcony. The appearance of this architectural refinement was caused by the lack of toilets in European houses. That is, people used the windows as a latrine and splashed out the contents of the "night vases" through them directly into the street.
Or just sat on the edge of the window to cope with naturalneeds. It is clear that the high window sills were not conducive to a safe seat, and the French window to the floor, and even with a comfortable railing that prevented a person from falling backwards, was a godsend for residents of Paris and other progressive cities.
Description
The French balcony is, in fact, a large window starting from the floor level, closed from the outside with a low railing. The platforms under it on the facade of the building are made no wider than 40 cm.
The French balcony in the house looks elegant and unusual because of the wrought iron railing. It is characterized by unique patterns and ease of perception.
Currently, the so-called French loggias and windows have appeared, they are united by a characteristic feature of the design - an opening from the floor level.
The French balcony from the room looks like a large window that lets in 2 times more light than a normal, standard window opening.
Differences from the standard
To understand what French balconies are, you need to know the main differences in their design. More on that later.
First of all, there is no impot in the window block of the French balcony - a vertical post dividing the opening into the left and right halves. The French window opens completely to the entire panorama.
The French balcony has no walls and sometimes a floor, which does not require its elementary finishing. Whereas the standard design needs to be finished with plastic or other materials for aesthetic purposes.
There is no parapet on the French balcony, so its glazing is carried out completely - from the floor to the very top. The glass area of an ordinary balcony is smaller due to the parapet. In this case, much more light enters the room.
In the cold regions of the country, the glazing of the French balcony is carried out in such a way that it is possible to ventilate the room without opening a large window. This allows you to save heat.
Positives
French windows to the balcony, like the design itself, have a number of clear positive aspects that must be considered when planning construction or renovation.
Firstly, this type is rare for the countries of the former Soviet Union. Accordingly, it will attract the eyes of passers-by, give the facade of the house a unique uniqueness and sophistication. It is enough to see the French glazing of the balcony in the photo to understand how original it is.
Secondly, a large window area allows more daylight to enter the room. For the northern latitudes, this is a rather significant advantage, due to the fact that the sun appears there from behind the clouds quite rarely.
Thirdly, when looking at the French balcony inside, there is an indescribable feeling of flight and freedom when looking at the wide opening to the street. This is especially felt on floors above the third.
Fourthly, the French glazing of the balcony on the loggia does not allow turning it into a closet for old things, because this entire warehouse will be perfectly visible from the street. BUTlarge glass will make the room clean and spacious, thereby expanding the living space.
Fifthly, what are French balconies, people learned relatively recently. Therefore, modern double-glazed windows are used for their glazing, which retain heat well and have amazing sound insulation.
Sixthly, the owners of an apartment or house with this decorative element have no problems with landscaping or repairing the panels covering the balcony. After all, they are not in this device in principle.
Seventhly, French doors to the balcony do not require additional strengthening of the opening and the area under it. After all, it is known that the margin of safety of a slab for a balcony, for example, an ordinary Khrushchev, was designed for 3, maximum, 5 years, and in fact they stood much longer. This, by the way, makes modern balconies the most dangerous place in an apartment; hundreds of cases of collapse of such structures under their own weight have already been registered.
Negative sides of the French balcony
For all its novelty, lightness and elegance, French balconies have a number of negative sides. Since double-glazed windows are very expensive, much more expensive than ordinary finishing material, the creation of such a design can cost a pretty penny to the owner of the apartment, who decides to make it at home. And in this case, it will not be possible to save on cheap double-glazed windows, since the large area of the balcony door and window requires good heat and noise insulation.
Another difficulty of such a balcony is the preparation of installation, because you have todisassemble part of the parapet, which is usually a load-bearing wall, that is, a rather thick and durable structure.
The large area of the balcony does not allow them to clean the windows themselves from the outside, so the owners have to hire industrial climbers for this, which is also quite expensive.
If installed incorrectly, cold air enters the cracks, and in summer the room is too well warmed up by the hot sun.
Sometimes French balconies cause a feeling of panic in people with agoraphobia, naturally, such sufferers cannot live in a room without a parapet.
In the absence of thick curtains or blinds, an "aquarium effect" occurs, especially at night. People inside the building can be seen quite clearly from the street.
How safe is it
What are French balconies? This is, in fact, a large window with a railing. It does not even have a small platform that could collapse under its own weight. That is, this design of the balcony, due to its simplicity, is absolutely safe. The only negative that lies in wait for a person on such a balcony is the likelihood of dizziness and, as a result, falling out of the window. But such a situation can also arise on an ordinary balcony, and in front of a simple window.
How to get permission to install
Before equipping a French balcony in a house or apartment, a number of permits must be issued. Firstly, from the management company, which monitors the condition of the building, since the geometry of the window opening will be changed during the construction process. Temmore if it is a load-bearing wall of a building.
Secondly, you will need to obtain permits to change the facade of the house in the city construction department.
All work must be carried out only through a construction company that has a certificate for this type of activity, otherwise pen alties may follow, and it will be very difficult to legalize documents in the BTI.
French balcony price
The price is built from several positions:
- The frame can be plastic, aluminum, multi-profile - all this has its price. The brand of the manufacturer also matters - whether it is domestic or imported.
- If the frame is made of wood, then the price depends on the species used in the construction.
- Glass can be tempered laminated or thin plain.
- Frame layout and number of double-glazed units.
- Quality and material from which the fittings are made.
- The presence of shading on the glass.
- Number of windows and doors in one order.
- Total squaring of the window and door.
- The price is affected by the height above the ground and the difficulty of preparing for installation.
- Material and decoration of railings.
You can minimize the cost of a balcony in different ways, while not giving up on the quality of the work performed. For example, you can order a window from a domestic manufacturer. After all, the equipment of such factories, and the materials are often the same. The price depends on the "hype" of the brand. Well, we must not forget that the costimported material includes the transportation of products. Work on installing a balcony should be carried out in the summer, then the price for the services of industrial climbers and builders is much lower.
If you change all the windows at once in the whole apartment, then both the manufacturer of works and the supplier of windows and double-glazed windows will most likely make a significant discount.
If everything is done correctly, the cost of one balcony can vary from 35,000 to 65,000 rubles. Many companies are happy to provide credit for this type of service. Moreover, a loan can be issued on various terms that are beneficial to both the supplier and the consumer.
Conclusion
The French balcony looks unusual and elegant, but along with its advantages, such structures also have disadvantages. Before starting work, you should assess the situation, weigh all the pros and cons. It is advisable to consult a specialist.
