Do-it-yourself preparation for glazing a balcony begins with an assessment of the condition of the balcony itself. It is necessary to make sure that the slab and the fence are not seriously damaged, that the reinforcement is not exposed, and that there are no cracks or chips. If any of this is available, the balcony will have to be repaired first.
If we are thinking about a warm balcony, then we need to make a decision on double or triple glass, or install two or three-chamber double-glazed windows. The future view of the glazed fence will tell you what materials and details we still need. In most cases, decisions are made in favor of double-glazed windows, although it will be more expensive than self-made glazed wooden frames, installation and fitting will be easier and more reliable.
We must not forget about the main component of the glazing process - these are the glasses themselves. To avoid the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays, glasses with sun protection are used. They are covered with a film using a special technology.
If you decide to turn the balcony into a greenhouse, then you must remember that simple glass can become "magnifying" for plants and then a burn of delicate flowers will be inevitable. To protect them from the scorching rays of the sun, it is necessary to use tinting protection.
There are many ideas for turning a balcony from the inside and outside into an object of a festive mood. This is the installation of stained-glass windows, glasses of different colors, painting of the inner walls of the balcony, external cladding, including the installation of siding.
To maintain heat inside the balcony, energy-saving windows are used. The thinnest layer of metal is applied to the inner surface using a special technology at the factory, which reflects heat rays back into the balcony.
So, all decisions have been made, you just need to remind about the legal part when changing the structures or details of the apartment. It is best to go to a specialized government agency and clarify the legal provisions necessary in such cases, as well as obtain permission to change the design of the balcony. Such permission is issued without any problems, because the glazing of balconies is generally welcomed.
Glazing a balcony is more difficult than the same work on a loggia.
The opening of the balcony is three-sided, so you need to make three blocks. The two side blocks adjacent to the wall can be secured more securely, the central block is the largest and more difficult to mount. It must be connected to the side blocks and to the base of the upper balcony, taking into account the large weight and windage of the structure.
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Frame material
If before the plastic window era everything was decided in favor of wood, and then in favor of plastic, now the assessment of the quality of the two materials begins to level out. Processing of wooden parts according to new technologies allows them to be durable and beautiful.
When choosing wood, one must remember the properties that ensure its durability. These are strength and density, resistance to cracking, high antiseptic properties, minimal or complete absence of knots, resistance to wear. Biosecurity with antiseptics and flame retardants. Now the most powerful drug, combining properties against decay and against insects and woodworm beetles - "WOOD MEDICINE" DL-3.
It is very important to carry out a fire retardant treatment.
It is best to carry out deep impregnation with fire retardants, which does not create a protective film on the surface of wooden parts, but changes the material itself, making its structure resistant to temperature influences.
But even having received the necessary prepared wood blanks, for the independent manufacture of the frame and supports, devices are needed for the precise preparation of the frame parts, a good tool and a room, because you cannot turn around with such work on the balcony.
Therefore, when deciding the issue of choosing a wooden frame, it is better to order it from a company that specializes in woodworking, and install it yourself, following step-by-step instructions. Of course, you can still do everything yourself, but it is unlikely that you will be able to do everything perfectly aesthetically and cause the envy of your neighbors. But for a country house, such a solution can be quite successful.
Let's go back to the balcony.
Now there are three types of balcony glazing in use:
- French - glazing around the entire perimeter and height of the balcony
- Warm - maintains room temperature all year round, isolated from external cold
- Cold - looks like warm, but there is no good thermal protection, simpler and cheaper materials are used
We need to talk about the warm version separately due to the complexity of the installation, so we will focus on the simpler, cold version. We omit the options for a wooden window and an aluminum profile, and focus on PVC windows.
Before glazing, you need to take care of installing the visor, so that later this does not become a problem.
Step-by-step instruction
It is necessary to accurately determine the dimensions of the side and front windows. To do this, we measure the distance from the parapet to the ceiling, the length of the frontal parapet and the length of the side parts of the parapet. We check the diagonals, make sure that their difference lies within 1.5-2.5 cm. We decide which part will be with sashes, which will remain motionless and make an order for the manufacture of windows and support frames.
- We take out the glass unit from the fixed windows, remove the sashes from the hinges. This will protect the glass from damage and greatly reduce the weight of the window.
- We fix the support profile along the perimeter of the fence, wall, ceiling.
- Departing from each edge by 15 cm, we install frame fasteners.
- Next, you need to glaze - we install the frame in the opening and fix it with self-tapping screws. We control the horizontal and vertical position of the frame parts using the level.
- We put the rest of the frames.
- After alignment, all frames are fixed with anchors.
- We fill all the cracks with polyurethane foam.
- We install a double-glazed window into the frame and hang the flaps on the hinges.
You have done a colossal apartment-wide job. After all, according to architectural designs, this is a room, as it were, an extension of living rooms and a connection with the external environment. For those who still left their balcony open, we advise decisively to remove everything unnecessary from there, sheathe the outside, install windows and turn it into a place of rest, reflection, floral fragrance and a joyful atmosphere.
