In order for a home to become cozy, it is sometimes necessary to re-equip its interior and exterior. Many install a canopy on the balcony, it is used to protect against precipitation and direct sunlight.
There are enough material and design choices to make your home even more inviting and comfortable at no extra cost.
What better to cover the balcony?
The roof is a serious building structure with a strong frame connected to a balcony and a wall. In addition, a base of boards or bars is required under the roof. It is easier to make a canopy or visor on the balcony. The first is installed on special supports, and the second is attached to the wall with its end face. The visor is much easier to make than the roof. The task is made easier if the balcony slab of the neighbors is on top. When properly designed, the canopy is cheap and shaped to fit the architecture of the home.
The visor performs 2 main functions. On the one hand, it ensures the removal of precipitation and covers the balcony from too bright light, and on the other hand, it gives it a beautiful look.
Single-pitchvisor
This is the simplest and cheapest option. It is characterized by a pronounced slope and is suitable for balconies of different sizes. Rainfall must be removed from the visor to the street. It can be installed by anyone who has even a little deal with tools. There are plenty of materials for this, and even waste of slate, corrugated board, polycarbonate sheets, etc. can come in handy. It can be made from transparent plastic of any color.
Gable
The visor on the balcony is somewhat reminiscent of a roof. It looks great in large sizes. The design will look very attractive if it is decorated with forged decorative items from the sides. Any sheet material can be used as a roof. The coating of metal tiles also looks beautiful.
Arched
The design is used when you need to make a transparent roof. It is suitable for large and small balconies. The form provides effective removal of deposits. The visor above the polycarbonate balcony looks impressive.
Dome
Beautiful and voluminous shape goes well with the balconies on the upper floors. The material is colored polycarbonate. The designs are complex and many do not know how to make a canopy on this type of balcony. For their construction, you can seek help from specialists.
Marquise
A canopy over a balcony like an awning fixed on a frame has long been known. But modern systems providethe possibility of opening and folding the visor. "Marquise" contains an electric drive, a shaft with a wound dense fabric and mechanical levers. The canopy opens as needed, protecting the balcony from bright light and precipitation.
"Awnings" are installed on the balconies of the upper floors, as well as above the porch or window. The web folding mechanism is attached to the wall.
For "Marquises" durable acrylic fabrics are used, which are permeable to air, repel water and do not fade in the sun. The colors are fashionable and light: plain, patterned, striped. The texture is selected smooth or perforated.
Making "Marquise" on their own is not possible for everyone. The bearing part consists of aluminum tubes. The frame is the hardest to make. It includes a shaft, rotary mechanisms and hinges. You can install a stationary frame, but then it will already be called a canopy.
Materials for making visors
The frame is made of wood or metal profiles. For roofing, a steel sheet of the following varieties is often used: metal tile, corrugated board, corrugated sheet, galvanization. They are light in weight, provide reliable protection against corrosion and are available in a wide range of colors. The disadvantage is the tendency to form ice and icicles. In addition, the metal has good sound conductivity, which is noticeable during rain. Now they have learned to deal with this by pasting the sheet from below with a tape sealant.
Slate has good mechanical properties and is inexpensive. It needs good waterproofing at the junctions withwall, otherwise the visor will leak.
Ondulin is a flexible and very light roof. It is well suited for visors, since the load is negligible. At a low price, the material is weather resistant and does not rot. Outwardly, it resembles slate, but during rain there is no noise from it, since it is made on the basis of bitumen. The disadvantage is the fire hazard. In multi-storey buildings, it is better not to use it, since the material can ignite from any cigarette butt.
Polycarbonate balcony visor is used everywhere. Translucent plastic has high strength and flexibility. It can be given different forms, which allows you to implement many design solutions. Sheets are made monolithic and honeycomb - with an air gap.
Installing a canopy on the balcony
- The roof and trusses are bought at the rate of installation after 1 m. You will also need anchor bolts about 100 mm long, bars for battens and self-tapping screws. To process wood, an antiseptic is needed. To seal the gaps, you will need cement mortar and sealant.
- Trusses are anchored to the wall. First, the extreme ones are installed, then the intermediate ones.
- Crates are being installed on the trusses.
- The roof is cut to size and attached to the crate with self-tapping screws with rubber gaskets.
- The tide is nailed over the roof to the wall.
- The gaps between the wall and the visor are sealed with cement mortar and, after it hardens, with sealant.
Pay attention!If the balcony is supposed to be glazed, not a visor is made, but a roof on a frame with racks.
Repair of visors
Repairing a balcony canopy is usually required when it starts to leak. This happens when there is a seal failure. Dampness should not be allowed, as mold appears, which violates the aesthetic appearance and can lead to diseases.
Flooding appears when the sealant layer is broken or the roof is worn out. The defect can be eliminated by fusing euroroofing material (bicrost, isobox, etc.). The material is made from a mixture of bitumen with a polymer. On the prepared surface, first, a lining layer is fused with a gas burner, and then a roofing layer containing a granular powder. After fusing the layers, the joints of the roofing material are additionally smeared with bituminous mastic, and tin canopies are attached at the junctions with the wall.
To seal plastic sheets, silicone sealant is applied to the wall, then a rubber sealant is applied, and a visor with sealant applied to the edge is applied to it.
If the roofing material is worn out, it can be replaced. To do this, the old coating is removed and a new one is installed. Farms are strengthened or replaced as necessary. In fact, the same work is done here as when installing a new visor. It is important to ensure reliable sealing at the junction of the roof with the wall.
Conclusion
Most often a visor is made over the balcony of the last floor or in a private house.
It is a lightweight structure to protect from rain and direct sunlight, as well as a decorative element. If installed correctly, the visor will last for many years.
