All about balconies and loggias with panoramic glazing

Modern builders offer several ways of glazing balconies and loggias. From an aesthetic point of view, the panoramic technique is considered the most successful. Balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows are most often found in private mansions, country houses and modern high-rise buildings.

When organizing panoramic glazing, windows are placed along three protruding walls or along the front wall of the balcony. Like any design innovation, panoramic windows on balconies have both advantages and disadvantages.

Panoramic glazing has a sophisticated aesthetic appearance. Balconies and loggias in a similar design always look stylish and effective. The panorama visually enlarges the balcony space, creates a 5-7 square meter inside a small room. m feeling of lightness and weightlessness.

Panoramic glazing of a balcony in a private or multi-storey building allows you to fill the interior space with the maximum amount of natural insolation. For apartment buildings located in the same building with similar buildings, this solution becomes the only way to get sunlight - this is especially true in the winter months. At the same time, double-glazed windows allow only light to pass through, but restrain ultraviolet rays that can harm human health.

Thanks to good illumination, the use of electricity is kept to a minimum. This allows you to achieve significant savings on utility bills. In addition, the panoramic design has high thermal insulation parameters, which significantly reduces the cost of installing an air conditioner and purchasing a heater.

Another item of cost reduction is the cladding of the walls of the balcony room. If three of them are double-glazed windows, then only one of them will require finishing. Moreover, repairs can be the most unassuming - panoramic glasses bring charm and chic to any interior.

Despite the abundance of significant advantages, the panoramic design also has its drawbacks.

The first is the need for constant maintenance of order... Such a balcony cannot be cluttered, it cannot be used as a place for storing old unnecessary things and seasonal tools.

The panorama fills the entire balcony space from ceiling to floor. This creates certain difficulties in cleaning the glass surface from contamination that occurs under the influence of rain, snow, wind and exhaust gases. If you do not pay attention to cleaning, then there is a high risk that the visibility of the panoramic window, as well as its decorative characteristics, will significantly deteriorate. This is especially critical in situations where the house is located next to a motorway or industrial plants that emit harmful gases.

In this case, you need to understand that it will be difficult to cope with cleaning the surface on your own. This is especially true for the upper floors. To clean the glass from the outside, it is often necessary to turn to the services of industrial climbers, and this entails significant costs.

Panoramic glazing can create seasonal challenges. For example, in winter, additional illumination is only beneficial, but in hot summer it is complemented by overheating of the balcony block.This problem is especially acute when the windows face the south or southeast side, when the sun shines through the glass from early morning until evening. In hot weather, being in such a room is rather uncomfortable.

Owners of panoramic structures may also face problems on winter days. On the one hand, energy-saving bags keep the frosty air out, but the floor remains cold. Therefore, the double-glazed windows, due to the difference between internal and external temperatures, begin to fog up - this deteriorates their performance and makes the view of the balcony space unaesthetic. In addition, constant dampness leads to the appearance of fungus, mold and other pathogenic microorganisms.

To prevent their occurrence, it is advisable to make a "warm floor" system or use heat convectors. For their arrangement, you will have to spend a lot of money. However, all these expenses will more than pay off with a comfortable stay on such a balcony.

Another disadvantage of panorama is that it completely opens the interior of the balcony to prying eyes. This means that any person passing by, as well as people living in the house opposite, will be able to see everything that happens inside your apartment. To eliminate such a problem, curtains are used. However, curtains nullify all the efforts of the owners of the premises, who set themselves the task of saving energy.

That is why panoramic windows are traditionally used residents of the upper floors. This solution is relevant in apartments with a picturesque view of a forest, field, river or other landscape. In a busy metropolis, where houses are in the manner of an anthill, such a solution is ineffective.

In addition, there are a number of situations in which mounting a panorama on balconies and loggias is unacceptable.

Such a design will create the appearance of everything that happens inside the living space, while the bedroom already, by its functional purpose, requires a certain degree of intimacy. The panorama completely negates all privacy. Of course, curtains help to correct this situation, but they significantly reduce the amount of light entering the room.

You should not resort to total glazing when you are at home in areas with a hot climate. With the onset of heat, the air in living quarters will be very hot, and this will require an increase in the cost of operating split systems. Moreover, practice shows that even climatic technology is not always able to cope with the cooling of such a room. Trouble will be added by the fact that under these conditions, houseplants begin to wither and wither.

It is not recommended to make a panorama on the loggias in the case when it is constantly blown by the winds, especially when it comes to panel “Khrushchevs”. The fact is that not every window structure is capable of withstanding a powerful wind load.

Panoramic structures on balconies are produced in two techniques - cold and warm. They have visual and design differences, so they have their own conditions for implementation.

As the name suggests, this type of glazing does not imply the presence of a frame. This design looks like an ordinary glass box - it creates a feeling of general weightlessness of the space. Tempered glass is fixed on roller guides at the bottom and top, and then fastened to each other and to the sides.Usually, the sashes in this case are shifted with an accordion, or open inside the loggia.

The advantages of such systems include:

• stylish design;

• ease of maintenance and care;

• excellent overview;

• good illumination.

Among the shortcomings are:

• weak isolation - it will not work to seal and insulate such a balcony;

• lack of technical ability to hang mosquito nets and install a grate;

• high risk of deformation of the structure when branches fall, sudden gusts of wind and during hail.

Such glazing is usually built for the sake of a stylish balcony.... Most often, in such spaces they organize a home mini-greenhouse, a lounge area or an observation deck.

Glazing with a frame is a much more practical option. It is optimal in a situation where the house is located in an open area. This solution allows you to perform heat and waterproofing. There are technologies in which loggias with frame glazing can be equipped for living quarters.

Identifies three types of frames.

• Plastic - optimal for warm glazing of the balcony space. Allows you to select different types of opening mechanisms and fix mosquito nets.

• Aluminum - due to the high quality of the material and its ease, the installation and operation of such panoramas are safer. In addition, aluminum frames last much longer than plastic ones. Their only drawback is the high price.

• Glass composite - in recent years, polymer material has been very popular. It combines resistance to mechanical damage and high thermal insulation characteristics. Of course, the price of glass composite frames is also high.

The choice of material directly depends on what resources the owner has, and what effect he plans to achieve. In general, frame glazing has many advantages:

• operational safety;

• strength and reliability of the installation;

• the possibility of noise and heat insulation of the balcony;

• the ability to mount a nets against mosquitoes and other insects.

In addition, you can rely on such a window without fear. Rams-fences are not afraid of strong gusts of wind, therefore, in terms of safety, such a solution has significant advantages.

There are also some drawbacks. The design does not look as elegant and airy as frameless. In addition, the frame gives an additional weight load, so the balcony slab will have to be additionally strengthened.

To make a panoramic balcony glazing for multi-storey buildings, the key factors are obtaining approval from the municipal authorities, as well as the condition of the balcony slab. The structure has an impressive weight, so the old slab can simply collapse under its weight. If the balcony is located on the second floor, then there is a chance to install supports. On the upper floors, slab reinforcement will be required.

There are situations when total glazing is unacceptable in principle.

• If the window panorama makes it difficult to get out to the fire escapes. This applies to buildings from the 70s and 80s. of the last century, in which hatches lead from one balcony to another.

• If the building is recognized as a monument of history and architecture.

• In buildings recognized as dilapidated.

Before starting work, the balcony slab should be reinforced. This can be done in several ways:

• with the help of metal corners, the perimeter of the floor is strengthened - this will prevent the slab from collapsing under the weight of the glazing;

• strengthen the parapet it is possible with a welded metal structure, in this case, special attention is paid to the areas that will be in contact with the glass units.

Panoramic glazing involves several types of work.

• First, markup is carried out to set the profile. Then a profile is applied to the markup - this will make sure that the measurements are accurate.
• After that, the upper profile is fixed to the upper floor, fixing with anchor bolts. Do the same with the lower profile, it is fixed to the floor of the balcony or parapet. Some types of structures are additionally fixed to the side walls.
• Then there will be only gently insert the flaps and make sure that the structure is working properly.
• All seams and joints must be closed construction foam.

For panoramic glazing, a variety of types of glass are traditionally chosen - made in the form of stained glass, as well as mirrored and tinted. The most budgetary option is the usual transparent canvases. However, in this case, you will have to protect the balcony from prying eyes with curtains. Look best with panoramic windows:

• Photo curtains;

• Japanese curtains;

• Roman curtains;

• vertical blinds;

• cotton gauze.

Each store nowadays offers a wide selection of cladding materials. Thanks to this, it will not be difficult to equip comfortable conditions on the loggia. The choice of cladding depends solely on the individual preferences and financial capabilities of the owner.

The ceiling is best sheathed with tiles, clapboard, painted with enamel or simply whitewashed. White shades visually raise the ceiling, thereby filling it with a sense of greater space.

A good solution would be plastic panels, as well as tiles for the ceiling.

Floor coverings are also selected taking into account the overall design of the room. When designing cold frameless structures, the most widespread materials are those imitating natural wood in color and texture - they have high technical and operational characteristics, and also create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in the additional room. Tile and porcelain stoneware will be a good solution; such coatings retain their spectacular appearance for many years. However, it should be borne in mind that these are cold materials, when installed in rooms without thermal insulation, staying on such a floor can be uncomfortable.

The most important role in the arrangement of any interior is played by walls.... The grunge and loft styles look good, in which case you don't even have to think about wall cladding - concrete and brick go well with glass. For the design of classic interiors, it is better to give preference to natural wood or its imitation. On insulated loggias, non-woven and vinyl wallpaper, as well as PVC panels, are often glued.

When choosing furniture for balconies, several key criteria should be taken into account, the overall degree of comfort of the functional area directly depends on them. The main thing is the purpose of the additional space. If you want to design it as a resting place, you will need a cozy armchair, as well as a table that can be set for tea drinking. If the loggia is small, then a folding tabletop or an impromptu bar counter will be relevant here.

When equipping an office, you can put a block with a computer table and shelves here. The mini-bedroom will need a rollaway bed.

Remember that the basic advantage of panoramic structures is the readability of glass surfaces.... Therefore, you do not need to overly obstruct them with furniture. All items should be placed near the walls; corner shelves and cabinets should be placed to accommodate the necessary items.

Plants can be used to create a comfortable environment on loggias with panoramic windows. They are selected in accordance with the interior design and weather conditions. For example, any green pets can live in warm rooms - even tropical crops grow well here thanks to intense natural insolation. For garden decoration, floor, wall, hanging, and trellis structures are used.

If the balcony has a sufficient area, flowerpots with tall plants can be installed here. On a small balcony, hanging pots with ampelous crops are more appropriate, trellises allow you to decorate the wall with loaches.

The choice of style for arranging a panoramic balcony directly depends on the individual preferences of its owner, the size of the area and purpose. To make the space refined and elegant, give it elements of the classic, baroque or English style. In such an interior, it is good to hold a meeting with friends with traditional tea drinking. This design option is relevant for organizing an office.

Modern trends, which are characterized by laconicism and the absence of unnecessary decor items, will become a universal choice for small balconies. This avoids the feeling of being overwhelmed, and the extra space is used ergonomically. The styles of minimalism, loft, hi-tech and rustic are best suited to this goal. To create a relaxing environment, you can use the ideas of Provence.