Glazing the balcony allows you to expand the usable area of the apartment. This solution makes it possible to equip an additional small room, which can later be equipped as an office, nursery or even a bedroom. Glazing of balconies can be performed in different ways. Most often, of course, plastic structures are used for this purpose. But sometimes apartment owners still prefer aluminum glazing of loggias. Product reviews with such profiles deserve good reviews.
Types of aluminum glazing
You can mount different types of structures on a balcony or loggia if you wish:
- frame;
- frameless.
The most popular type of aluminum glazing is cold. But sometimes, when using structures of this type, balconies can be additionally insulated.
Frameless aluminum glazing on the loggia allows you to make its interior space as light as possible. From the outside, these balconies look very stylish and modern. Profiles in such designs have a small width. Therefore, from the side of the street, they are practicallyinvisible.
However, in most cases, apartment owners still prefer to mount frame structures on loggias. Such glazing also looks quite attractive and at the same time is easier to install. Consequently, such products are much cheaper.
Cold glazing is usually equipped when they just want to protect the interior of the balcony from rain and wind. The owners of the apartments insulate the loggias with the help of aluminum structures in cases where it is planned to equip a dwelling here.
Dignity
The undoubted advantages of aluminum structures of any type include, first of all, the ability to save free space on the balcony to the maximum. The sashes of such products in the vast majority of cases are sliding.
Another advantage of aluminum glazing is its light weight. You can install such profiles even on the loggias of fairly old houses with weak parapets. For example, the aluminum glazing of a balcony in Khrushchev can be quite durable. Of course, the undoubted advantage of such structures can be considered their low cost. The price of aluminum double-glazed windows on the market is lower than plastic and wooden ones. Also, the advantages of such products include:
- long service life;
- environmental safety.
Aluminum glazing on a loggia can last up to 80 years. At the same time, a product of this type, of coursesame, does not emit absolutely no harmful substances into the air.
Manufacturers supply the market today with double-glazed windows with aluminum profiles of various colors. So consumers have the opportunity to purchase a design that is in complete harmony with the facade and interior of the balcony.
Flaws
The main disadvantage of double-glazed windows can be considered a high degree of thermal conductivity. In this regard, aluminum is certainly inferior to plastic, and even more so to wood. Also, some apartment owners attribute a certain difficulty in maintenance to the disadvantages of such glazing. This is especially true for frameless structures, in which glass occupies almost the entire area.
The sashes of such windows, as already mentioned, are usually sliding. That is, they do not open inside the balcony. And therefore, it can be somewhat more difficult to care for such products than for plastic and wooden ones.
Pros and cons of frameless designs
The main advantage of these non-standard solutions in the first place is the attractive appearance of the balcony. Those apartment owners who want to make an additional room unusual should use frameless aluminum glazing. Photos of loggias with such profiles can be seen below. As you can see, the peculiar designs look really very stylish and modern.
Also, frameless glazing allows you to save maximum space inside the loggia. Refer to the advantages of such structures and the fact that they are used in their assemblyhardened material. Breaking glass is nearly impossible. To do this, you need to hit him with almost a hammer.
And even if the glass still breaks for some reason, it will be impossible to cut yourself on it. With a strong impact, the hardened material simply crumbles into squares. There are no sharp protruding fragments in the openings.
Disadvantages of frameless glazing has the following:
- good visibility of the inner space of the balcony from the street;
- impossibility to fix mosquito nets in summer.
Among other things, frameless glazing, unfortunately, does not provide complete tightness on the balcony. That is, such constructions are worse than usual delay noise from the street. In addition, it will not work to equip a warm balcony when using this type of glazing.
Frame aluminum glazing of loggias: pros and cons
Double-glazed windows with such profiles on balconies, as already mentioned, are installed most often. The advantages of structures of this type, in addition to ease of installation, include:
- opportunity to insulate the balcony;
- availability of anchoring mosquito nets.
In terms of tightness, aluminum installations are also somewhat inferior to plastic and wooden ones. However, they protect the interior of the balcony from noise and cold, they are still better than frameless.
Cold balcony
Since aluminum structures are cheaper on the market than plastic and wood,when using them, apartment owners get the opportunity to save on glazing and at the same time make the balcony beautiful and solid. On such a loggia it will be possible to dry clothes and not be afraid that it will fly away, be wet by rain or become dusty. If necessary, the tenant will always be able to open the doors that are easily accessible for opening and enjoy fresh air and direct contact with the outside world.
The main disadvantage of cold aluminum glazing of loggias is that in this case the latter cannot be used in winter. At this time of the year, the balcony will only be able to store some things.
Warm glazing: advantages and disadvantages
In order to make the balcony completely living space, the owners most often equip all the same plastic or wooden installations. However, loggias with aluminum profiles can sometimes also be insulated. In this case, in order to avoid heat leakage, special types of double-glazed windows are usually purchased.
Aluminum profiles in such constructions are not yet at the production stage additionally insulated. These elements consist of three layers:
- outer metal layer;
- insert-thermostat, breaking the "cold bridge";
- inner metal layer.
Profiles can be insulated at the factory with reinforced fiberglass, polyamide, foam materials. The advantage of aluminum glazing for the loggia of this variety isprimarily low thermal conductivity.
In terms of the cost of this type of construction, of course, they are inferior to ordinary cold ones. The warm aluminum glazing of the loggia will cost its owners more than the standard one.
The main stages of glazing
In most cases, the installation of purchased aluminum double-glazed windows, warm or cold, is entrusted to specialists by apartment owners. Sometimes such work can be done with your own hands. In any case, when installing such products, all the required technologies should be strictly observed. The assembled structure, in the end, should not only effectively fulfill its functions of protecting the internal space of the balcony from adverse environmental factors, but also be absolutely safe for the owners of the apartment themselves and people passing by the house. All fasteners in such structures must be as reliable as possible.
Installation of aluminum glazing on a loggia is usually carried out using the following technology:
- check for strength and, if necessary, strengthen the parapet;
- install profiles;
- mount the canopy (on the upper floors).
At the final stage, double-glazed windows are installed. It is also important to adjust all the accessories included in the kit and mount it correctly. This is how cold aluminum glazing of loggias is produced.
Insulation
In the event that the balcony is supposed to be isolated from the cold, additionally:
- install waterproofing on the parapet and balcony ceiling;
- install insulation;
- sheathe the outer fence of the structure with a vapor barrier;
- mounting the finishing skin.
Insulation of a loggia with aluminum glazing also involves careful insulation of the floor - base plates.
Features of installation of aluminum double-glazed windows
The upper end of concrete parapets is usually leveled using boards before mounting the profiles. At the same time, such material is fastened most often by means of long self-tapping screws. The rules for installing aluminum double-glazed windows are usually observed as follows:
- anchor plates, through which the profiles will be connected to the ceiling of the loggia, are mounted in increments of a maximum of 40 cm;
- before attaching the profiles to the board leveling the end of the parapet, the window sill and ebb are mounted;
- joints between the visor and the frame, the profile and the ebb, after the installation of windows, must be treated with sealant and be absolutely impenetrable.
After inserting the sliding doors into the base, the master must check how easily they open and close. Of course, when installing double-glazed windows on a balcony, the building level must be used. It is necessary that all elements in such a design be strictly vertical and horizontal. Otherwise, soon the owners of the apartment will definitely have problems,associated with poor sealing of the balcony, as well as opening and closing of the shutters.
Self-insulation
Quite often, the owners of the premises entrust the installation of double-glazed windows to specialists. It is actually quite difficult to independently perform such a procedure correctly. But at the same time, at the next stage, the owners of the property insulate the loggia with aluminum glazing with their own hands. Insulating the parapet, ceiling and floor of a balcony is a relatively simple matter. Such work usually does not take too much time and effort.
How to properly care
Of course, windows with aluminum profiles on the loggia will have to be washed periodically in the future. It is also very important to lubricate the mechanism of the valves of such structures in time, for example, with engine oil. If the owners of the apartment neglect such care for the rollers, they will rust very quickly and the windows will stop opening.
The profiles of such structures themselves need to be wiped with a damp cloth from time to time. Mosquito nets are recommended to be purchased complete with double-glazed windows themselves.
Each landlord is interested in the durability of the product he buys. Designs with aluminum profiles are such, they are reliable and original.
