Balcony is a great opportunity to add free space. At the same time, it can not only be glazed, but also insulated. Do not forget that the appearance should also be attractive. It is necessary to understand this issue from all sides, because there are many types of glazing for balconies.
Everyone must first calculate their capabilities. This is not only a financial component, but also compliance with the existing design. The cost is calculated based on several indicators - this is the selected design, building materials, type of glazing, the presence of sashes, etc. From this it is already easier to draw simple conclusions and make your decision.
Classification
There are several types of balcony glazing. Most often, the division occurs depending on the selected material. What is included here:
- Plastic. It has its positive aspects - ease of cleaning, isolation from extraneous noise, low price, ease of installation, decent appearance. This is enough to take a leading position in the market. But you can always in any materialnote the negative aspects. This is a lot of weight and complete tightness, which is not always suitable for creating a good indoor climate.
- Tree. Oddly enough, but even today they began to actively use it for its positive aspects - environmental friendliness, good appearance, low weight, excellent thermal insulation. This material has a lot of negative sides. Here experts include the following factors. This is a high price and a short service life. Also, the design is not always adjustable. If poorly looked after, then after a few years it loses its aesthetics. There are craftsmen who pre-treat such a design with special compounds, this significantly increases the service life.
- Aluminum. Cheap, lightweight material. Structures made of it have a beautiful appearance, various color solutions, are environmentally friendly, are not exposed to the environment, let in sunlight, and are resistant to fire. Before buying, you should also know some of the disadvantages - if you insulate such a structure, then the price increases. Also aluminum is only a minor protection against noise from the street.
Other Features
These are three main options that appear not only in the living space. But wooden and aluminum types of balcony glazing (there are photos of examples in our article) are considered cold by craftsmen and only plastic is called warm. Therefore, before starting installation work, it is worth understanding every moment.
Pros
In the coldglazing has its advantages:
- Quick installation (no need to call the masters).
- Low price for parts.
- Accessibility. Such types of balcony glazing in Kaluga and other cities can be purchased without any problems.
- They are not heavy, and there is no load on the balcony structure.
Cons
But do not forget about the clearly identified disadvantages:
- During the cold season, the temperature on the balcony will be almost the same as outside.
- Unable to install mosquito nets, and this is insect access.
Warm
When the type of balcony glazing is chosen with the characteristic of insulation, then this is an opportunity to add a little more living space. It can be a full-fledged rest room, a winter garden or something similar. For this, heating appliances or underfloor heating are added. This type of balcony and loggia glazing has its positive qualities:
- Positive temperatures in winter.
- Complete isolation from the sounds from the street.
But there are a lot of minuses. It is worth considering them when choosing:
- The frames are heavy, which creates pressure on the structure of the balcony or loggia.
- No more drying.
- Completely sealed, which disrupts the natural ventilation of air flows.
It is easy to conclude that the types of cold balcony glazing are less profitable than warm ones. But everyone decides for himself what exactly he needs inapartment.
Glazing options
Consider the types of glazing balconies and their options. Today there are two main types of glazing. This includes panoramic and frameless. Moreover, each option has its own characteristics. One installs from floor to top, no jumpers.
And the second assumes the presence of moving parts that are fixed to the guides mounted in the upper and lower parts of the structure. Glasses can acquire any shade or be classic. What exactly is worth knowing about such constructions:
- Frameless. As always, positive aspects come to the fore - a unique appearance, a good level of light transmission, good mobility. Also, the most durable glass is most often taken as the basis. There are some negative indicators - there is no excellent protection against cold air flows and sounds, the room is clearly visible. Also, it will not be possible to fix the mosquito net.
- Panoramic. Here, too, there are positive aspects - the sun's rays easily penetrate, an interesting design, there is no need for additional finishing, the living space becomes larger. In addition, before starting the installation, it is worth considering some negative points. This is the complexity of cleaning the outside, the high cost. You can also easily see what is happening on the balcony.
- Remote. Occurs quite often. There are pluses: an increase in space, strength is achieved through metal brackets, a long service life and a presentable appearance. There are alsominor cons. So, it is difficult to fully protect yourself from sounds from the outside.
Which material is suitable for glazing?
Before choosing glass for a frameless design, you will have to remember some rules:
- If the size of the window is more than two meters, then the cross section must be at least 8 millimeters relative to the glass.
- The material is not allowed to have any flaws.
- All edges are sanded.
- Profiles only in aluminum and high quality.
- When purchasing components, you should contact a trusted manufacturer who is responsible for quality.
If a small window is planned, then its cross section may well be up to 6 millimeters. These nuances are always respected. When glazing, do not forget about it.
How to replace cold glass with warm glass?
Today, many are trying to insulate their balcony and create additional space. There are several types of glazing of balconies outside and inside, which makes them suitable for staying in the cold season. The replacement process takes place in several stages. The first thing to do is to dismantle the old structure. After that, all other elements are removed. These include the following details:
- Single glasses.
- Fasteners.
- Ebbs and boards.
- Window opening from the bottom.
The old insulation remains on the surface, as well as dust. It needs to be removed too. After that, work is carried out onopening. It is worth treating it with a sealant. This during operation will exclude the ingress of cold air flows inside. In addition, it is worth considering the window insulation procedure in advance.
The plastic profile is attached from the inside of the opening. For this, anchor bolts and self-tapping screws are used. Only after that the assembly of the entire structure begins - the doors are hung and double-glazed windows are installed. Immediately it is necessary to insulate all the elements, and the seams are removed with the help of mounting foam. The slopes are finished, a latch, a handle are mounted, a mosquito net and other elements are inserted.
Each manufacturer applies a protective film to the profile. She also cleans up. If the whole process goes right, then it becomes warm and comfortable on the balcony. The presence of a draft is completely excluded. In the absence of experience in such work, it is worth performing each stage very carefully, otherwise nothing will work.
How can two types of glazing be combined?
Today, many companies can offer combined types of balcony glazing in Khrushchev. This is a combination of different materials. The most common materials are plastic and wood or wood and aluminum. There are several combinations:
- The frame is made of wood and covered with aluminum on the outside. This increases the service life and makes maximum protection against external influences.
- The entire profile is made of aluminum and lined with wood on the inside.
- Creating a plastic shell with wood inside.
Everyonedecides what is suitable for his home. Today, we can say for sure that there are enough options, and it’s easy to make a balcony warm.
How to work on a structure with a roof?
Creating a solid top floor structure is not easy. It is worth working out every moment and making the right measurements. It must be remembered that it is impossible to arbitrarily erect additional walls. To do this, get permission. In addition, when work is done at a height, not everyone can do it on their own. In this situation, the involvement of specialists is a prerequisite.
To create a roof, a metal profile is most often used. During operation, the roof will be exposed to natural conditions, so saving on this is not worth it. Having chosen corrugated board, you need to know that it becomes the load-bearing roof of a balcony or loggia. If you want to get protection from unnecessary sounds, you will need additional material. The cost of such work is calculated from all installation conditions. Many even glaze the roof, but this is even more difficult to do.
Before choosing, you should understand how the balcony roof should look. There are two options - dependent and not. The first is created at the moment when the entire perimeter is glazed. It is necessary to mount the profiles with frame blocks, and then attach them to the wall of the house. If you need to create an insulated structure, then it is worth laying a waterproofing material. Such work is complicated by height.
For strength, it is worth attaching the entire structure to the house itself using a cantilever support piece. Such a designdoes not have a high degree of reliability. For this reason, you should not use too bulky designs so that the pressure is not maximum. When the apartment in which the balcony with the roof is mounted is located on the top floor, it is not always allowed to do so. Because a large amount of precipitation may well push through the roof.
Conclusion
So, we examined the types of glazing of balconies, their advantages and disadvantages. Now it is easier to make a choice which glazing is suitable for the technology of the loggia. Basically, they try to insulate and use these additional square meters. From the proposed it is always easy to choose your own and implement the project. If the glazing is done on your own, do not forget about the severity of the window and the complexity of the installation work.
