How to make balcony glazing. How to glaze a balcony with your own hands in a frameless way

Repair in full swing and it came to ennoblement of the balcony? Of course, the modern diversity in the service market makes you tense. Everyone wants quality and cheap. How about do-it-yourself balcony glazing? Let's figure it out together.

The first stage is preparation.

You can't do without it. It is important that the balcony does not collapse under the weight of the structure, the windows do not fly out at the first wind, and the sheathing does not come off as quickly as it is being installed.

Technical analysis is one of the components of the initial actions. An assessment of the design features, the percentage of dilapidation (accident) of the dwelling - these parameters will allow us to conclude whether the design of the house is designed for the fact that there will be an additional load in the form of glazing on the balcony.

After making sure that all this will definitely not collapse, we proceed to the additional strengthening of the parapet. Depending on the future load, reinforcement is carried out by means of foam concrete blocks or metal.

What material to choose? The answer depends on your goals and the technical capabilities of the house. Universal, suitable even for extremely dilapidated balconies, will be metal.

How to do this is detailed in the diagram. We only note that a strong metal structure “ties” the parapet and is able to take on the main load of the glazing system.

If your balcony is strong and wide, then you can use foam blocks. This material also serves as excellent thermal insulation. But such a design requires reinforcement with reinforcement. Otherwise, the desired effect will not be.

After the preparatory work is completed, you can without fear deal directly with what, in fact, everything was started.

Stage two - the choice of design.

Wooden euro windows have a long service life, so you should not worry that they will rot or dry out under the influence of external factors.
Aluminum frames are cheap, lightweight and are most often used for cold glazing.
If we take PVC, then they have a wide range in the field of additional functions - noise insulation, thermal insulation, imitation of a certain style in architecture, etc. Of course, they are heavier than aluminum and are used for warm glazing.

How is the lighting in the room? In addition to frames, it is worth paying attention to glass. Do you have a sunny side, but do you want to make a game room on the balcony? So that the delicate skin of the baby is not exposed to ultraviolet rays, sun protection glasses are used, which are covered with a film using a special technology.

How energy saving glass works

Such glass absorbs almost 99.9% of radiation. Or maybe the balcony is the future greenhouse? To do this, tinted glass is used, which prevents the sun's rays from penetrating through the glass and creating a "magnifying glass" effect.

Colored glass, stained-glass windows are ideas for specific styles of both interior and exterior. Well, and, finally, energy-saving windows. At the factory, a thin layer of metal is applied to the surface of the glass, which retains heat inside the room.

Glass, construction, strengthening - all the preparatory issues are covered, the decision is made. It remains only to understand how it can be glazed at all. To do this, we move on to the next step.

Video - what is and what are the possibilities of energy-saving glass:

Stage three - the choice of glazing method.

The diversity is amazing, just look at the neighboring house. What you will not see there, but we focus on the ways.

a) With removal. The internal space becomes wider due to the removal of the window profile (relative to the main fence). The increase is insignificant - 20-25 cm. A window sill can be placed on such a frame.

b) Frameless. In fact, it turns out a panoramic window without vertical frames and horizontal partitions. Lots of light is a plus. The problem with care (for example, washing) is a minus. The design is quite durable, so you should not worry about bad weather.

Stage four - installation of the visor.

This should be done before the glazing system is installed, so that later you don’t have to think about how to stick it there so that it doesn’t come off. With the help of ordinary dowel-nails we fasten it to the ceiling.

After the visor is fixed, you can start glazing, but first, anchor plates should be fixed on all sides except the bottom.

Video - installation of a loggia with a visor:

Stage five - step by step instructions for glazing.

Of course, the balcony should be freed from everything that used to be there: chairs, flowers, linoleum, tiles, old trash, and so on. The issue of strengthening was touched upon earlier, so we will omit the description of this procedure.

Installation of wooden windows.

Correct installation according to GOST

Frame installation. The bars that serve as the basis are pre-treated with a sealant (but only the mounting surface). Further, a wooden structure is constructed along the perimeter using mounting dowels.

Window installation. Frames must be glazed, as glass can simply break. Installation is carried out in the following sequence: frontal structure - side elements.

After - sealing of seams is obligatory with the help of sealant and polyurethane foam. When everything hardens (at least a day), you can glaze. But first, all grooves must be treated with silicone sealant. The glazing beads, with which the glass is fixed, must firmly press it to the frame.

Video - how to glaze a balcony with wooden windows:

Installation of an aluminum frame.

We eliminate all unnecessary, namely: we remove all opening elements, so as not to complicate our lives, we remove the glazing, as in the previous case.
Mounting plates are attached to the frame (with metal screws), with a pitch of 700 mm or more.
Installation of the frame in the opening, followed by alignment (horizontal, vertical, plane).
Attaching mounting plates to surfaces with dowels.
We hang the sashes, return the glass.
All holes and gaps are eliminated with mounting foam.

Video - how to install an aluminum frame with your own hands:

Precipitation falls on a balcony without glazing, a lot of street dust accumulates there and gifts from birds appear. Often, apartment owners prefer not to store anything in such an open area. To make the balcony a full-fledged indoor space, it is better to glaze it. Anyone can do it by hand.

What you need to be prepared for before starting glazing

Balcony glazing requires a professional approach. In such work, it should be remembered that the balcony slab is designed for a certain load. Therefore, it may not be able to withstand the increase in weight. In order to prevent the fatal collapse of the entire structure, it is better to seek the advice of specialists. They will be able to give clear recommendations on the materials that can be used for glazing in a particular case.

When glazing the loggia, such detailed calculations of the bearing capacity of the balcony slab are not required, since the load of the sidewall of the loggia is transferred to the main wall of the house. Glazing can be produced by almost any materials and methods.

It is better to do the glazing of the balcony with your own hands, paired with an assistant. In such work, you will have to constantly bend over the parapet, so a person who can insure will not interfere. For safety, it is advisable to prepare safety equipment in advance.

Balcony glazing - choose the best way

Do-it-yourself balcony glazing can be done using both cold and warm methods. In the first variant, lightweight frames with single glasses are most often used. In winter, it is quite cold on such a balcony, so during this period of the year this room is used as a pantry for food. Well, in the summer on the balcony with such glazing, you can arrange gatherings.

To avoid unnecessary maintenance hassles, an aluminum profile can be recommended as a replacement for wood. Such material is easy to install, environmentally friendly and has a small weight. During operation, aluminum is not subject to decay. Therefore, you should not worry about the destruction of this material. Sashes for this case can be used both rotary and tilt-and-turn. Sliding type sashes are gaining popularity recently.

Such balcony glazing requires a serious approach to work and careful calculation, since the dew point should not be inside the balcony. From improper insulation, condensate in the room can lead to mold in the entire apartment. So that the dew point is not in the room, it is required to carry out high-quality hydro and thermal insulation of the floor and parapet. Remember, even a small gap or cold bridge can lead to condensation.

For warm glazing of balconies, a double-glazed window with seals is needed. It is recommended to implement natural ventilation, which can be adjusted independently. For this, the manufacturer of metal-plastic windows provides ventilation dampers. To get rid of condensate, air must be circulated between the balcony and the room. For this purpose, it is necessary to install a fan in the window of the room, which will draw air from the room. A ventilation grille is required at the bottom of the balcony door.

Varieties of glazing

In elite high-rise buildings, as a rule, panoramic glazing of balconies is used. This option involves a floor-to-ceiling glass railing. The most popular is frameless panoramic glazing, with which the natural lighting of the room increases several times.

For such glazing, shockproof glass 6–8 mm thick is used, which is processed with metal oxide. Such a double-glazed window is quite difficult to break. Thanks to special coatings, the glass can reflect heat back into the room and allow ultraviolet light to pass into the room. Such double-glazed windows have very high soundproofing properties.

Glass sashes can be hinged, sliding (on rollers) or folding. In the case of a small balcony space, the best option would be to use a sliding mechanism. In this embodiment, when opening the valves, the area of \u200b\u200bthe room is not lost.

Aluminum profiles are also used for glazing. The weight depends on the thickness of the glass and the size of the sections, but, as a rule, does not exceed 20 kg per linear meter. m. Therefore, it becomes possible to carry out the glazing of the balcony with the removal. For this, detailed strength calculations are not required.

To assemble the sections, you will need to make guides at the top and bottom of the balcony opening. Then you need to install vertical racks. Then, with the help of latches and locks, the frame is attached. Be sure to measure the evenness of the location of the guides and racks. The misalignment should not exceed 5 mm per lin. m.

Glazing of balconies can also be done using metal-plastic windows. In this embodiment, the weight of the structure will be 40 kg per linear meter. m. It is recommended to do the installation of such glazing before installing the window sill. Racks made of metal-plastic profile must be fixed to the ceiling and parapet using self-tapping screws.

Before installation, it is required to get double-glazed windows in all windows, since glass can be easily broken during installation work. To get the double-glazed windows out of the frame, it is necessary to pull out the window glazing beads.

Also, before installing the frame, it is required to remove all the wings. To do this, it is necessary to squeeze out the pins in the upper loops, which can be pulled out with the help of pliers. After that, the sash can be removed from the bottom hinge.

If it is decided to make a winter garden or a greenhouse on the balcony, then you can apply balcony glazing with removal. This will require a high strength parapet. Additionally, you will have to take care of installing a visor.

Consistent balcony glazing

Finishing and glazing of balconies is always done at different stages. For example, with a lattice fence, insulation and decorative exterior finishes are done before the start of glazing. But the interior decoration and installation of the window sill must be done after the window frames are installed.

In the presence of a brick or concrete parapet, it is first necessary to level its surface with a cement mortar. Then do the exterior. Only then can the glazing work be carried out. Interior decoration and insulation is done after the installation of the window sill.

If the balcony does not have an upper ceiling or is hanging, then pipe racks must be used. They will be able to withstand most of the glazing load. External frames are required to be made from corners of 40-60 mm. With the help of a grinder, all welds must be smoothed out. After that, you need to do degreasing with stripping. Then you can cover the entire frame with acrylic enamel.

The most time-consuming stage of work is the creation of a visor. It should protrude 15 cm beyond the glazing. As a rule, 40 mm corners are used. The height of the visor is made within 40 cm.

The first step for the visor is to make a frame in which you need to drill holes of 10-12 mm for anchor bolts. The distance between the holes should be 40–60 cm. You need to count on the fact that there are at least 4 holes along the entire length.

To mark places for bolts on the wall, you will need to attach a frame, align it horizontally with a level and draw marks in the holes. After that, you can start drilling holes for the anchors. When the bolts are installed, the frame itself can be attached to the wall.

The next step is to create cross members and slopes that need to be welded to the frame. Then the outer crossbar is attached. Upon completion, you can proceed with the installation of the roof of the visor. As a rule, galvanized sheets are used for this. They must be laid with an overlap in one wave. To prevent water from flowing between the wall and the roof during rain, it is required to insert sheets into the strobes.

The width of the supporting frames must be made with a small margin (10-15 mm) from the thickness of the window. According to experts, the frame can have a maximum size of 1100x1500 mm (provided that a 40 mm corner is used). If a corner of 60 mm is used, then the length can be made 1300x1700 mm. With the help of pipe racks, the frame must be connected to the visor by welding.

When the frame is fully installed, you can proceed to decorative trim and insulation. For sheathing, it is possible to use metal sheets that must be welded to the frame. Alternatively, moisture-resistant plywood or drywall can be used for finishing. The balcony, sheathed with siding, looks quite worthy. Basalt wool is used as a heat-insulating material.

The glazing process begins with the installation of window frames, which need to be fixed to the corners of 6 mm with self-tapping screws. The distance between the fasteners should be 25–30 cm. After the window frames are fixed, it is necessary to foam all the grooves. Then window sashes are installed and double-glazed windows are put in place. Upon completion, you can proceed to the interior decoration. For this purpose, wooden lining, plastic panels or drywall are used, which can be painted.

Do-it-yourself balcony glazing is one of the works that even a very skilled home master cannot be recommended to do alone. The point is primarily in the strength of the balcony slab: it may simply not withstand the weight of additional structures. Therefore, before glazing a balcony, it is necessary to consult the DEZ, BTI, or, better, call a specialist from a glazing company for advice, and in accordance with his verdict, and make further plans.

The only exception is the glazing of the balcony with the Provedal aluminum profile - it is very light and practically does not give any additional load. But Provedal does not have thermal insulation properties: you will not get additional living space. In addition, you will have to buy a profile for yourself at a retail price, and the cost of installation is only 8-10% of the cost of professional work. Considering also that the pros will prepare the mounting elements on special equipment, it will most likely turn out that a home-made balcony-visited will come out more expensive and worse than a custom one.

The glazing of the loggia does not require such careful measurements and strength calculations - its sidewalls transfer the load to the load-bearing wall well. If the house itself is in a satisfactory condition, the loggia can be glazed using any of the methods described below.

But in all cases, at least one assistant is needed - an assistant insurer. Although the described glazing methods do not require steeplejack work (i.e., it will not be necessary to hang from the outside), you still have to bend over and hang over the parapet. So, in addition to a construction tool, you will need safety equipment to glaze your balcony.

Precautionary measures

All work on the glazing of the balcony must be carried out with a safety belt. It is better to use a sports one - it is lighter and cheaper than an industrial one. The industrial one is more reliable and durable, but you don’t systematically do steeplejack work.

The halyard of the belt should be about 2.5 m long. Too short a halyard will complicate the work, and if it is too long, if you suddenly fall off, the jerk can be dangerously injured. The halyard carabiner, and the entire belt as a whole, must withstand a load of 400 kg. If the value of the load is not indicated in the certificate for the belt, or there is no certificate at all, such a belt should not be taken.

The safety line must be securely fastened. To do this, for the duration of the work, drive an anchor rod with a metal collet into the main wall by at least 150 mm. The head of the stud is in the form of a ring with a forming thickness of at least 8 mm; stud body diameter - from 16 mm.

It is necessary to screw the stud into the collet until it stops and tightly by inserting a powerful screwdriver or pry bar into the ring. At the end of the work, the head of the stud, so as not to interfere, is cut off with a grinder flush with the wall.

Cold and warm glazing

Cold glazing is made with single panes in lightweight frames. Such a balcony in the summer is suitable for gatherings, and in the winter - under the pantry for food. However, it is impossible to save on a supporting frame for a cold balcony: the windage of the glazing does not decrease, and the glazing frame carries mainly the wind load.

For warm glazing, the dew point must not be allowed to shift inside the balcony. Otherwise, the resulting condensate will negate all your efforts to expand the living space, and may cause the entire apartment to become damp. Also, the penetration of the dew point into the space between the panes is unacceptable; on a balcony outside the contour of the building, it is doubly difficult to ensure this. In order to drive the dew point out for sure, four conditions must be met:

Make good heat and waterproofing of the parapet and floor. Any gap or thermal path from outside to inside will cause condensation to form.
Use window frames with double sealing and double glazing. If wooden frames of a traditional design are used, provide a rubber double seal for hinged ones, and carefully close the gaps with putty or liquid nails in the blind.
It is imperative to provide for adjustable natural ventilation: use metal-plastic windows with a ventilation damper, and with wooden ones in the parapet, arrange a ventilation valve to the outside.
Provide air circulation between the living room and the balcony: install an exhaust fan in the window overlooking the balcony, and make a ventilation grill at the bottom of the balcony door.

Glazing types

Panorama

made in residential buildings of the elite class. Often glazed from top to bottom. Such glazing is frameless. Along the top and bottom, guides are let in, into which glass enters on special fasteners. Sections of a glazing can be sliding, oar and folding.

The seeming "airiness" of such glazing is actually very heavy: the glass is placed especially strong and thick, with a transparent or tinted coating that reflects infrared (thermal) radiation. Panoramic balcony glazing requires the highest professionalism with a serious production base and cannot be done independently.

Aluminum profile

Glazing on a special Provedal profile is also often called panoramic: it gives an overview not much worse than frameless. Promedal glazing allows you to make both hinged and sliding windows. Glazing sections are also assembled on upper and lower rails: first, vertical racks are installed in them, and then a frame is inserted into the resulting opening with locks and latches.

The weight of Provedal glazing is no more than 20 kg per linear meter, depending on the height of the section and the thickness of the glass. Therefore, it is possible to glaze hanging balconies with Provedal without preliminary calculation of strength. This is especially important if offset glazing is required, see below. The cost of Provedal on a balcony without distortion turns out to be 5 times lower than metal-plastic glazing with insulation.

Provedal glazing requires exact horizontality and parallelism of the upper surface of the parapet and the lower - the upper floor. Although the latch locks are adjustable, the adjustment travel is only 15mm. Taking into account the increase in skew during adjustment, a deviation from the horizontal and non-parallelism of the supporting surfaces is not more than 5 mm per linear meter. If it is larger, then in terms of labor and money spent on alignment, Provedal loses all its advantages, especially since the glazing is cold.

metal-plastic

Balcony glazing with plastic windows in terms of weight per linear meter - up to 40 kg - is average between an aluminum profile and a supporting frame. In most cases, it can be done on hanging balconies. Windows can be hinged / folding and sliding. Glazing is possible both warm and cold.

Installation of metal-plastic glazing is carried out on the parapet before installing the window sill:

End, corner and intermediate racks are installed from a 60 mm wooden beam or a special metal-plastic profile. Racks from a bar are attached to the parapet and the upper ceiling with corners on self-tapping screws. Their outer surface can be sewn up with a PVC strip.
Double-glazed windows are taken out of the windows, otherwise they are easy to split when removing frames. To do this, prying with a narrow screwdriver, pull out the glazing beads - their ends are made protruding before the final installation. When removing the double-glazed window, you need to carefully assemble its clamps.
The sashes are removed, for which the pin of the upper loop is squeezed out and pulled out with pliers; after that, lifting the sash, remove it from the lower hinge.
A dummy profile is attached to the bottom of the frame.
Complete anchor plates are inserted into the grooves of the frame.
Frames are inserted into the openings, checked for skew. If necessary, level with wedges.
The frames are fixed with self-tapping screws into the mounting holes of the anchors.
Insert double-glazed windows and sashes back, mount mechanisms, check operability.
The grooves are foamed, the window sill is installed, and the final finishing is done.

However, the wind resistance of metal-plastic glazing leaves much to be desired. In addition, a visor has to be made above a balcony hanging at least one corner without an upper ceiling. In this case, the labor intensity of metal-plastic approaches that for glazing on a supporting frame, but without it, the glazing does not perceive the vertical load and may be too heavy. If the parapet of the balcony is also weak, then it must be removed and a new one laid out in half a brick, which further increases the cost, labor intensity, and weight.

Extended glazing is well suited for narrow balconies and for balconies - greenhouses or conservatories. But for such glazing, a strong parapet is required, and with ordinary glazing, work on the installation of a durable visor is also required in addition to the upper ceiling. Therefore, it is better to glaze a balcony with a takeaway with Provedal.

Glazing on a supporting frame

This "Soviet" glazing is very laborious and weighs a lot, up to 80 kg per linear meter. The pipes with corners used for it in the old days quickly rusted and did not look very new either. But now interest in frame glazing is reviving:

A welded steel frame is relatively cheap, but very strong and durable.
Its painting with acrylic bath enamel gives the frame a look no worse than PVC and reliably protects against corrosion.
The connection of the frame with a visor or upper ceiling in one piece allows you to distribute the weight load, so that such glazing can load a balcony slab even less than metal-plastic.
Windows of any type can be inserted into the frames, from Old Testament wooden ones to the same Provedal or solid glass.
Windows can be made very wide; they only bear the wind load.
The problem of a weak parapet is eliminated. It is cut off, and the supporting frames are made composite of their upper and lower parts, and the lower one can be made lower than the previous parapet, and such a balcony will look no worse than a panoramic one. The lower opening is easily insulated with plywood or drywall with a foam layer - complex insulation work on a double crate disappears.

In general, if you have two strong and intelligent assistants, and you are used to working with your hands, glazing on a supporting frame may be the best option: in the end, you will get a full-fledged additional living space for at least 20 years.

The design of frame glazing is clear from the drawings. The drawing at the bottom right (vertical section) illustrates a case where an existing balcony railing is being used. This is possible if the length of the balcony does not exceed 3 m, the fencing bars are straight, with a section of at least 16x16 mm, in increments of up to 160 mm, with upper and lower longitudinal ties and sit firmly in the slab. Otherwise, it is better to cut off the old fence, and make the supporting frames in two parts, as described.

We glaze with our own hands

Sequence of work

If an old lattice fence is used, then its insulation outside and inside and the external decorative finish must be done before glazing. Interior decoration with the installation of a window sill is carried out after the installation of window frames. The top of the former fence must be horizontal; otherwise, it is also better to cut it off - alignment will cost more than the lower frames.

If the glazing is placed on a concrete or brick parapet, then its upper surface is leveled horizontally with cement mortar and an external decorative finish is made. Insulate and trim from the inside after installing the window sill.

Support frames, tube posts and outside corners

Pipe racks (highlighted in red in the figure) are necessary if the balcony is hanging and without a top ceiling. In this case, they will perceive most of the weight load from the glazing and transfer it to the visor. If the length of the balcony is more than 4 m, then another intermediate pipe rack is needed in the middle of its long side.

The outer corners of the glazing are filled with mounting foam, its excess is cut off and sewn up with strips of galvanized or roofing sheet, on self-tapping screws or welding. Welds are smoothed with a grinder, and the corners are painted with bath enamel, like the entire frame.

Bearing frames are made of steel angle 40-60 mm by welding. The seams are smoothed, the frames are painted with the same acrylic enamel. Paint after stripping with degreasing, like a bath.

The lower frames are made taking into account the skew of the balcony slab; the junction of the upper and lower frames must be horizontal. The top side of the side frames must be horizontal. If the upper ceiling is also skewed, the upper side frames are made according to the shape of the opening, but an additional corner is welded at the top so that the window opening comes out rectangular. The resulting wedge is sewn up with any suitable material - plywood, drywall, galvanized.

With a small, up to 20 mm, blockage of the walls, it is better to deepen the sides of the frames adjacent to them into the strobe. If the blockage is larger, work on the balcony should be postponed and the building should be inspected - perhaps it is emergency, and nothing can be done on the balcony.

Visor

A visor for a hanging balcony is a simple design (see fig.), but the most time-consuming and responsible. The canopy should protrude beyond the glazing by 150 mm on all free sides, based on this, its dimensions in the plan are determined. Height - 400 mm. The size of the corner is 40 mm.

Do not try to assemble the visor right away: it is too heavy and bulky. Even if there are three or four of you and you can lift it, you will have to work at the risk of not only your own life, but also the lives of passers-by below.

The visor is mounted as follows:

The rear frame is welded, and mounting holes for 10-12 mm anchor bolts are immediately drilled in it. The pitch of the holes in the upper crossbar is 400-600 mm. At the bottom, the step can be increased to a meter - the lower crossbar is pressed against the wall, and does not seek to break away from it. But there must be at least 4 holes along the length.
The rear frame is applied to the wall, set in height and horizontally with a level. Places for bolts are marked on the wall and the upper edge of the frame is beaten off. This work must be done by at least three people.
Mounting holes are drilled in the wall, anchor collets are installed in them. Exactly along the upper edge of the frame, a grinder with a circle 6 mm thick, a strobe 20 mm deep is selected.
The frame is attached to the wall.
Slopes and crossbars are cut along the length of the workpiece, their ends are cut to the required angle.
The slopes and crossbars are welded into the frame, then the outer crossbar is welded to them. When welding, it is necessary to control the horizontalness of the lower surface and the perpendicularity of the crossbars. Crossbars are welded first; their outer ends are supported with a piece of timber with plywood spacers.
The roof decking of the canopy is being prepared from galvanized or roofing sheet and blanks for sheathing the sidewalls. The seams of the flooring are ordinary roofing. The width of the flooring is with a margin of 20 mm.
The roof deck is installed; its upper edge is inserted into the strobe. The flooring is attached to the frame by welding along the contour. You need to cook with a 2 mm electrode at a current of about 60 A. Then the sidewalls are also welded.
The gate is sealed with cement mortar.

Note: the inner edge of the roof deck, placed in a strobe, guarantees against leakage along the wall for the entire life of the deck. When painting with bath enamel, it is more than 10 years.

Pipe racks

Pipe racks are needed if a welded visor is installed above the balcony. If there is an upper concrete floor above the balcony, you can do without them. Material - steel pipe of the same outer diameter as the angle: 40-60 mm.

From above, the ends of the pipes are attached to the visor by welding; for the lower ones in the balcony slab, holes with a depth of 15-20 mm and a diameter of 10-15 mm more than the diameter of the pipe are selected with a core drill. The pipes are finally adjusted to the size in place, with a grinder with a circle for metal. The pipe, tilted, is inserted into the hole and brought to the place by hand; perhaps a little tapping with a mallet. The pipe should not go tight into the thrust - hammering the pipe and pushing it, resting with all your might, is life-threatening! The groove around the end of the pipe in the hole is cemented.

Bearing frames

The upper load-bearing frames are made welded to the size of the window frames with a margin of 10-15 mm in width, and in height - with the same plus the thickness of the window sill. The maximum size for frames made of 40 mm corners is 1100x1500 mm. From a 60 mm corner, you can make frames 1300x1700 mm, but the weight of the entire frame will almost double.

The lower frames, if the old parapet is removed, are made for the remainder of the height, taking into account the skew of the balcony slab for the side ones. Between themselves, with a visor and pipe racks, the frames are connected by welding; with concrete surfaces - self-tapping screws 8-10x150 mm in dowels.

The pitch of holes for fasteners is 200-300 mm. More often it is not necessary to fasten: the concentration of stresses in the middle of the gaps between the screws can weaken the structure.

Note: it makes no sense to use expensive aluminum for TIG welding or self-tapping screws for the frame: the strength drops, and 3/4 of the weight of the glazing is provided by windows and insulation.

Exterior finish

External corners, as above, are foamed and sewn up with strips of sheet metal. Without foaming, condensate will settle in the resulting cavity, which will lead to corrosion of the frame.

The lower frames from the outside can be pre-sheathed with a metal sheet by welding. In this case, the influx of welding seams is removed with a grinder with a cleaning wheel before installing the frames. The second option for the lower frames is embedding from the inside with plywood or drywall. In terms of strength and reliability, both methods are equivalent.

First, the lower frames are mounted; ebb (teardrop) is laid on their upper surface. The upper frames are first attached from above and from the sides, and only after that they are welded to the lower ones. If you get a gap of more than 3 mm, a strip of sheet metal is inserted into it before welding. Welding is carried out outside. This has to be done leaning over, so insurance is a must. The shelves of the frame protruding inward are welded with tacks, it is possible along the entire length.

Before installing window frames, the entire frame, including the visor, is painted inside and out with acrylic enamel. Before painting, the frame must be cleaned with a drill with a metal brush and degreased with a nitro solvent. Kerosene and solvent for degreasing before painting with bath enamel are not suitable! You need to paint in clear, calm weather to avoid dust settling on the frame.

window installation

Before installing the windows, you need to put in place and attach 6 mm screws to the corners of the window sill. Grooves are cut out under the frame shelves protruding inward in the window sill. Three fixing points are enough for one window section for a window sill: from above, the window sill will be additionally pressed by the window, and from below it will be supported by an internal insulation crate.

Windows in the supporting frame can be installed of any type. Anchor plates for window frames are not needed: window frames are mounted on 6 mm self-tapping screws through the frame to the corners. Fastening step - 250-300 mm. The frames of metal-plastic windows are installed immediately assembled, only by removing the double-glazed windows. Alignment of window frames with wedges when installed in a supporting frame, as a rule, is not required.

After installing the window frames, the grooves between them are foamed and proceed to. As options, you can consider either.

Conclusion

Two novice masters will cope with the glazing of the balcony with an aluminum profile in 3-4 hours with smoke breaks. The cost of money is the least possible. But such glazing will protect only from wind, rain, dust and leaves.
Glazing with metal-plastic windows will cost 5-7 times more, and it can be installed over the weekend. On such a balcony with insulation in winter during daylight hours, it will be possible to stay for an hour or two in home clothes.
For glazing on a supporting frame, two skilled craftsmen with one or two helpers will have to kill half a vacation. You can install it far from every balcony, and at a cost it will hardly come out cheaper than metal-plastic. But in the end, you get a room in which you can live and work for decades all year round.

So that the area of \u200b\u200bthe balcony does not remain ownerless, some work can be done to transform it and turn it into a small but very functional room. Since this room is not heated, then, first of all, it needs to be glazed and insulated.

With your own hands it can become possible if you study in detail the instructions for carrying out this process. But when the window frames are already installed and glazed, nothing will interfere with further insulation and decoration of the room - neither rain nor wind.

Glazing types

If a decision is made to upgrade, you need to start by choosing the type of glazing. It can be traditional - using ordinary wooden frames or euro-frames - aluminum, metal-plastic and wooden with the installation of double-glazed windows. In addition, glazing can be frameless, insulated and cold.

Warm and cold glazing

Glazing of balconies can be cold and warm, and both are performed both when installing ordinary wooden frames, and more advanced ones.

Cold glazing includes the installation of wooden frames with ordinary glass or euro-frames - also with one hermetically installed glass. It is used if the balcony is not planned to be used year-round as a living space.

The simplest glazing - "cold" type

To the balcony, made in this way, you should not impose special requirements for maintaining temperature. Frames can only make the room neat and protected from wind, dust, and somewhat reduce the penetration of sounds from the street.

Cold glazing does not require additional insulation measures. The only thing that can be done is to arrange wooden flooring on the floor for comfort.

glazing is necessary if the balcony or loggia will be combined with one of the rooms. The whole room must be insulated with certain thermal insulation materials.

With such a change in layout, frames with double-glazed windows with triple glazing are installed.

Warm insulation requires a more serious approach.

If one of the euro-glazing options is selected, then you need to purchase frames with thermo-in rates that fit between the profile and the double-glazed window.

Double-glazed windows should have one, or better - two vacuum chambers - this choice will depend on the weather conditions of the region.

Further, when creating a warm room, it must be remembered that it must not be allowed that the so-called "dew point" formed indoors. Failure to do so will result in dampness and mold due to condensation, first on the balcony and then in the room.

It is impossible to allow the formation of a "dew point" between the glasses installed on the frames, carried out beyond the perimeter of the balcony. In this case, it is much more difficult to achieve the correct balance of the influence of temperatures on windows, since they can be cooled not only through the glass, but also from the lower and upper end sides. Therefore, their insulation must be carefully considered.

If wooden frames are chosen, then you will need to “conjure” by installing good insulation between them, as well as a seal between the frame and glass.

In order to prevent the appearance of mold spots on the balcony, it is necessary to carry out a number of measures that will help to avoid dampness:

- sealing cracks and gaps in the floor and on the walls of the room before its insulation;

- waterproofing of the floor and parapet of the balcony;

— organization of effective ventilation.

The ventilation device is one of the main conditions for preventing the formation of condensate. But, in order not to cool the insulated room, it must be adjustable:

- on euro-windows, it is installed in the upper horizontal part of the profile;

- when installing wooden frames that are tightly closed for the winter, it is necessary to build in one of the upper sections of the window or wall through ventilation valvehaving an adjustable damper.

Prices for ventilation units

Ventilation units

Traditional wooden frames with glazing

In recent years, this option to protect the balcony from rain, wind and snow is becoming a thing of the past, but still, some apartment owners prefer it because of the low cost of the material and the ability to carry out the process on their own.

"Classic of the genre" - wooden frames

Such glazing will not save you from frost and will not make the balcony warmer in winter, and will not create effective sound insulation from external noise, but will become an obstacle to dust, wind and precipitation. In winter, the balcony, protected in this way, can only be used as a refrigerator.

Nevertheless, if you install double wooden frames, insulate them well, just like the walls, floor and ceiling, and install heating devices, then in not very cold times you can use the balcony as a living room.

Glazing of wooden balcony frames is not fast, since in each of them you need to install a separate glass on a special putty, fixing it with carnations hammered through a glazing bead. It should be noted that this process is very tedious and requires the highest accuracy.

The disadvantages of such glazing include the difficulty of putting the glasses in order, especially if double frames are installed, twisted together. In addition, wooden frames require special treatment and periodic painting.

Metal-plastic windows

Euro-glazed called the installation of metal-plastic frames with double-glazed windows. This way to transform a balcony will cost much more, but it also has much more advantages over wooden frames.

Modern approach - metal-plastic frames

Double-glazed windows installed in metal-plastic profiles can have single, double or triple glazing. The advantages of this type of glazing are:

Aesthetically pleasing and meticulous design.
The tightness of euro-frames allows you to create effective heat and noise insulation, prevent precipitation, wind, dirt and dust from entering the premises. With additional insulation of all walls and the ceiling, the balcony becomes a full-fledged room in which you can arrange an office, workshop, greenhouse or quiet recreation area.
If you know the process of installing euro-frames, then you can mount them quickly enough on your own.
Ease of care will allow you to put them in order more often and faster.
Frames do not require additional annual insulation measures and painting.
When installing special locks on opening window sashes, you can not be afraid that the child will be able to open the frame on their own.

aluminum frames

Frames made of aluminum are currently quite popular for installation on a balcony. They are used for both cold and warm glazing. In the first case, options with single or double glazing are used. But when organizing a warm room, frames with thermo inserts.

Aluminum frames can be installed on parapets, or they can be used as part of panoramic glazing. It should be noted that in the latter case, the thermal insulation of the balcony is reduced, since the metal has a very high thermal conductivity.

When using aluminum frames, it is recommended to leave part of the balcony closed and install glazing only in front of the parapet. This design is called the "French balcony".

Advantages of aluminum frames:

This metal is very light, and at the same time it has high mechanical strength.
Aluminum has good heat resistance, it does not burn, it is not affected by corrosion.
The service life of such structures is on average 50 ÷ 70 years.
The lightness of aluminum makes it possible to use structures made of it in such conditions where heavier frames, for example, made of metal-plastic or metal-wood, cannot be used due to their greater weight. This speaks in favor of such frames for installation on balconies - no additional reinforcements are required, which will save some money.
Aluminum frames do not require painting and are easy to maintain.
The balcony, glazed with aluminum frames, gets good sound insulation.

Frameless glazing

Frameless glazing of balconies is used infrequently, as it — morenew technology but already gaining popularity. Glazing can be made from ceiling to floor or with installation on a parapet.

Frameless glazing not only visually expands the space of a small balcony room, but also perfectly protects it from dust and external noise. It is perfect for a room where it is planned to grow various plants - due to the lack of frames, they will receive sunlight in maximum volume .

Frameless glazing is characterized by the following qualities:

For this transparent balcony railing, tempered glass is used, which is 8 to 10 times superior in impact resistance and strength to ordinary glass, so it can withstand very high loads.
It is impossible to get hurt with such glass panels, since all their edges are rounded and polished in a special way.
Such glazing is operation - design designed in such a way that it is easy to open and close, as each of the panels slides with rollers on a metal rail.
Glass railings practically do not take up space, while the frames always “eat up” 50 ÷ 100 mm of area around the entire perimeter of an already small room. This is especially true for floor-to-ceiling glazing.
High sound insulation - the efficiency of noise absorption reaches 50-70%.

Glazing with a roof device

The real problem is the balcony, which has no roof. Rain and snow, dust and leaves from trees - all this is collected on this small area. Such a balcony cannot be used functionally, you cannot rest on it, leave clothes to dry, and in rainy weather you can’t even go out on it.

Therefore, the owner of the apartment has to solve the problem on his own by installing the roof and glazing the balcony.

Roofs over a balcony in a complex with glazing can be of two types:

Dependent roof is installed only when mounting aluminum frames. It is attached to the block built of them and the wall of the house.

The advantages of this design include its reliability, ease and speed of installation at a fairly reasonable price.

The disadvantages of a dependent roof include the fact that it can only be installed over narrow balconies and loggias. When mounted over wide outbuildings, the structure becomes unreliable and is unlikely to be able to withstand the snow load in the winter.

An independent roof is different in that its installation is not associated with balcony glazing. An individual metal or wooden frame is made, then is it possible to do roof without even planning further glazing.

The advantages of this roof can be called the fact that it can be installed above a balcony of any width, the main thing is to correctly calculate the strength of the structure. In addition, if it is not possible to install both the glazing and the roof at once, then you can first install the roof, and later - the balcony frames.

Building a roof over a balcony at a height is a rather dangerous undertaking, so it is recommended to entrust this work to professional masters. Moreover, first you need to carry out accurate calculations of the brackets and the entire frame so that the structure is not torn off by the wind one day.

Window prices

Safety measures when working on the balcony

When planning balcony glazing, always be aware of the dangers of working at heights. Not only do you need to protect your life or health - you should not allow threats to other people, for example, in the form of tools or building materials that have fallen from a height.

When performing work on the insulation and glazing of a balcony on your own, extreme caution is needed, especially in cases where any processes are performed from the outside. You should not take risks and fully rely on your strength and dexterity - you must definitely protect yourself with a safety belt. The belt is purchased industrial or sports, while the mount must withstand a load of 350 ÷ 400 kg, which must be indicated in the certificate. If there is no such information, then this product is not worth buying.

In addition, it is necessary to consult with a sales assistant who will clearly show how to use this safety device.

Not worth it do work alone - you must definitely invite a partner who can, if necessary, insure - this should be taken into account for work outside the balcony, and when installing frames and double-glazed windows.
To protect your hands when working with glass and metal, be sure to use gloves made of durable material.

Stages of balcony glazing

Unlike a loggia, where one of the sides is glazed, on a balcony, frames have to be installed on three sides. The work is complicated by the fact that it is necessary to correctly expose each of the structural elements and make their reliable connection at the corners. And, during installation, it must be taken into account that only the end frames will be rigidly fixed to the wall.

The front part of the structure has a maximum size and weight, therefore it also differs in windage. It must be installed very carefully and immediately rigidly fixed not only to the parapet of the balcony, but also to the slab of the upper balcony (or to the visor).

Frame blocks can be purchased ready-made or ordered from an enterprise that manufactures them, indicating the exact dimensions of the balcony. Installation of ready-made blocks can be carried out independently, if you carefully study the instructions.

Frame assembly

Before carrying out, it is necessary to make its glazing. The explanation is simple - you can not create a risk of wetting insulation materials - they will simply lose their qualities.

The installation of frames is carried out according to a single principle, but the preparation of the base for them may vary. So, for example, the frames can be installed on the base of the balcony, on the fence (parapet) or with the removal outside the perimeter.

Direct setting of frames - and with a small offset

Preparing to install the structure on the parapet

It is good if the balcony parapet is made of brick or concrete - in this case it will be easier to fix the frames on a fence of sufficient width. It is more difficult to resolve this issue if the parapet is made of a metal corner and a rod.

In this option, it is desirable to do preparatory work by slightly expanding the base for the convenience of fixing frame structures. This may be the installation of an additional corner with a wider shelf. One side of it is placed outside, creating a kind of fence for the lower profile of the frame. In the same way, you can fix the corners in the upper part.

The corners are screwed with self-tapping screws in increments of 150 ÷ 200 mm from each other to the top of the parapet.

Metal elements must be well coated with protective paint. It will not only reduce the influence of the external environment, but also give the structure a more aesthetic appearance.

Wider brackets installed to expand the base for the frame structure will also serve to secure the window sill inside the balcony.

Preparing to install frames on the balcony base

In this option, you need to take into account the height to which it will be raised. For example, if it is planned to raise it by 100 mm, then a bar of the same size is fixed along the perimeter of the balcony. On such a base it will be easier to install glazing frames.

Frames can go panoramic: from top to bottom

In the upper part of the balcony, metal corners, wooden blocks can be used to fix the frames, or the frames can be screwed to the ceiling using special brackets. If it is also insulated, then it will be necessary to include in the scheme mounting bar, which set the thickness of the insulation layer.

Preparation of the base of the parapet for the installation of frames with extension

When expanding the upper part of the balcony by moving the frames beyond its perimeter, you will have to build a more complex structure for their installation.

Installation is usually carried out using a metal corner, from which a kind of shelf is brewed.

If there is no welding machine or welding skills, then it is possible to build such a structure from a metal profile, reinforcing it with a wooden block, laying it in the profile cavity and fixing it on the parapet and balcony floor.

Using only a profile, it is impossible to obtain sufficient rigidity of the structure, and if you install it only from a bar, then under the influence of the external environment, the frame will become less durable.

Brackets installed outside the parapet should be made in the form of triangles - this will give the greatest rigidity to the frame.

Finished frame - bottom view

The upper, protruding part of the structure is also mounted from the corners, connecting them horizontally to the visor, and vertical posts to the lower part of the frame. It is best to additionally fix the corners on the load-bearing wall of the house to the height of the entire balcony and fasten them to the structure of the protruding part - this option will give the frame maximum reliability.

If aluminum frames are used for glazing, for which it is not necessary to install a common frame, then they can be fixed at the top with metal strips. They are screwed to the end side of the frame and to the upper balcony (to the roof).

Video: an example of glazing a balcony with a takeaway

balcony extension

If the plans include an increase in the area of \u200b\u200bthe balcony, then its floor slab must be thoroughly strengthened, so that the main load from the entire structure is removed from it. The possibility of this action must be agreed with the specialists, so here an accurate engineering calculation will be required of whether the load-bearing wall of the house will withstand the additional load.

The expansion is carried out using a metal structure, which will be attached to the wall of the building with the removal of the frame outside of it for installing frames. A similar method will help to increase the area at the base of the room by 200 ÷ 300 mm in width, and the window sill extended beyond the balcony in the upper part - by 200 ÷ 250 mm.

Frame fixing

Frames (wooden or otherwise) are fastened according to the same principle - using special perforated metal strips and anchor screws.

Mounting brackets on the frame - on a wooden ...

Mounting strips of the required length are screwed to the end sides of the top and bottom of the frame. Often they are also used for mounting the sides of the frame. On each side you will need two or three strips for fastening.

... or on metal-plastic

If necessary, wooden spacers and stands are installed between the frame and the wall to help achieve the desired position.

Often, anchors are used to attach frames to the wall, for which the necessary holes are drilled. In this case, it is very important to choose an element of the required length, since it must enter the wall by at least 50 ÷ 60 mm.

Complex knots when mounting frames on balcony are the corners. For their connection and mutual fixation, you can use several tricks:

Use a special corner profile, which is embedded in the manufacture of frames.

Install a metal corner with a size of 80 ÷ 100 mm at the corners, and fix the frames to it. Previously, the corner must be painted with a special protective paint.
Attach the frames to a wooden block masked with plastic panels on the outside and inside after installation.
It is easier to solve the problem with wooden frames - they are fastened together with corners or a wooden block.

But here it should be noted that if the glazing is carried out around the entire perimeter of the room, it will not be warm, since it is impossible to create the necessary insulation at such connection angles.

After installing the frames, all gaps between the walls and frame profiles are filled with mounting foam. If the gaps turned out to be very wide, in order to save money, you can first install fragments of polystyrene foam in some places of the gaps, and then apply mounting foam.

Frame glazing

After the mounting foam has dried and the excess has been cut off, you can proceed with the installation of double-glazed windows in euro frames or cut glass - into ordinary wooden structures.

When installing double-glazed windows in installed frames, it is very important to follow all the recommendations.

Before installing a double-glazed window, it is necessary to lay special spacers in the lower inner part of the frame. lining pads. They are also sometimes placed on the sides and top, between the frame and the double-glazed window.

Lay the gaskets in such a way that with from the insulating glass was distributed evenly along the entire length of the frame profile. One of the sides of the gasket should protrude slightly beyond the perimeter of the double-glazed window. This must be done so that no cracks form on the glass when driving the glazing bead. The glazing bead, when driving it, will choose the final location of the lining, moving it to the required (but not more) certain distance.

Further, a double-glazed window is carefully installed on top of the gaskets. For the convenience of its installation, professionals use special suction cups. They help to easily lift a fairly heavy element and install it in the frame opening.

Having installed a double-glazed window, glazing beads are clogged with a wooden hammer. They should fit tightly into the gap intended for them and press the double-glazed window to the frame.

After the installation of double-glazed windows is completed, they proceed to install the window sill and insulate the ceiling, floor and walls.

Wooden frame glazing

To glaze a wooden frame, you will need small nails, wooden glazing beads, a rubber spatula, putty or sealant, drying oil and a narrow brush.

When installing glass in a wooden frame on a balcony, you may encounter one discrepancy, which is considered the rule in this work. The glazing beads that fix the glass in the window opening must be nailed from the outside in order to protect the frame from moisture penetration, which is not always possible to reproduce in a balcony located above the first floor.

If the frames are small, then the glazing can be carried out before the frame is installed on the parapet.

Provided that if the wooden structure is massive, the glass installed in advance will make it even heavier and lifting it will not only be problematic, but also dangerous. Therefore, you will have to install glass into the frame from the inside, and there is nothing to worry about if this process is carried out correctly.

The first thing to do before installing the glass is to process all the window openings in the frames with drying oil, applying it with a narrow brush. Then you need to wait until the composition feeds into the wood and dries.

If the frames will be painted with paint, then the next step is to apply paint on top of the drying oil to the openings of the frames, which should also dry well.

After that, putty is applied to the folds of the opening with a rubber spatula in a uniform layer, 2.5 ÷ 3 mm thick. This will prevent water from getting between the glass and the frame.

Then the glass prepared to size is installed in the frame opening, on a soft, uncured putty and gently presses against it.

Further, another layer of putty is applied from the inside of the glass, and a glazing bead is installed on it, which is very carefully nailed with carnations. Carnations are installed on the glazing bead vertically or horizontally, since if they are hammered at an angle, the glass can easily be damaged.

You can do without putty by using a silicone tube instead, which is cut one side along the entire length and put on the edges of the glass.

Another option for installing glass in a frame is to fix it only on putty, which is applied under the glass, and then on it in a thick enough layer, and carefully leveled.

Sometimes they do without glazing beads - only a layer of putty

From modern materials for sealing the gaps between the frame and glass, a sealant is used. Many are afraid that it will firmly stick to the glass, and if necessary it will be difficult to remove it from the opening. To prevent this from happening, the glass is lubricated along the edge with soapy water or liquid soap, and then it is attached to the sealant and fixed with a glazing bead, which is also nailed.

Following the recommendations and knowing some secrets, you can easily glaze the balcony yourself. At the same time, the factor of working at height remains the biggest difficulty - this is very important to take into account. If the skills of working with tools and building materials are completely absent, then it is recommended to entrust this process to professional masters. Moreover, today some firms producing euro-frames, when ordering their products, installation is free of charge.

Video: the work of professionals in the glazing and insulation of the balcony

The balcony is a multifunctional space in the apartment. Over the past couple of decades, it has evolved from a pantry for winter things, grandmother's compotes and obsolete items that the hand did not rise to throw out, into a full-fledged part of the living quarters. Of course, this only applies to closed-type options. If it is still blown by all the winds and is regularly covered in knee-deep snowdrifts in winter, do-it-yourself glazing of the balcony will save the situation.

Kinds

The glazed balcony allows you to competently optimize the additional square meters in the apartment, turning it into a study, a mini-dining room, a dressing room, a sports ground, a workshop for creative family members. You can set up a winter garden in it or equip a zone for your beloved pet.

It is quite possible to perform glazing on your own, but you need to take into account some of the nuances of the work.

First, it is important to understand what is the difference between a balcony and a loggia. Many apartment owners confuse these concepts, but meanwhile, the types of glazing of the loggia differ from the types of glazing of the balcony. The glazing of the loggia is simpler, since it is limited by walls on both sides - it is located "inside" the living space. A balcony is a structure protruding from the wall of the facade of the building. It "hangs" above the ground and is taken out of the main square.

Secondly, you need to decide on the method of glazing - cold or warm.

Cold consists of a single layer of glass and a lightweight frame. This method provides relative sound insulation, protects the room from dust, wind and sunlight if the glass is covered with a UV filter, but does not keep heat. It is suitable for arranging a summer kitchen on the balcony, a temporary bedroom or office, and in winter for storing food in the cold.

Warm glazing involves a more complex, heavy and reliable design. And more expensive. It consists of window frames with double seals and double-glazed windows, which make it possible to maintain room temperature on the balcony at any time of the year and use it in a convenient way.

Installing warm windows requires more time and strict adherence to the conditions:

Good thermal insulation and waterproofing. Condensation between the glasses is unacceptable, they will fog up and retain heat worse.
Possibility to provide natural ventilation of the room.
The presence of an air circulation system between the balcony and the room.

Thirdly, it is necessary to study the legal side of the issue, intending to make changes to the design of the premises. The balcony slab is designed for a specific load. Exceeding the allowable weight can lead to its collapse, and this is fraught with negative consequences.

Nowadays, it is quite easy to get expert advice and permission for improvements of this kind that were not foreseen during the construction of the house. It is easier to spend a little time studying the Housing Code before starting work than to solve the problems that have arisen after.

Popular types of glazing

The most common ways to protect a balcony from rain, wind, layering of street dust, frost and visits of feathered guests are: sliding glazing, panoramic, with removal, on a supporting frame.

Each type of glazing has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Simple (classic) glazing with a wooden frame and single panes belongs to the cold method and is installed mainly in Soviet-type apartments. It protects against moisture, noise and street dirt, but does not differ in particular aesthetics and great opportunities.

Sliding

The design is equipped with a special roller mechanism that allows you to easily push the doors apart and takes up minimal space. The mechanism works on the principle of guide rails: the doors slide one after the other.

This type is not suitable for every balcony, specialist advice is required, but for small balconies this is the best option. It does not take up even half an extra centimeter, saves space, protects against insects, dirt and precipitation.

The negative points include the fact that roller mechanisms may not withstand the harsh conditions of the Russian climate in the winter season. If they freeze, it will become impossible to open the windows. The design implies single glass, so it will be cold in the room at sub-zero temperatures.

Panorama

This type of glazing implies the absence of any frame. Along the top and bottom, guides with grooves are installed into which glass is inserted (using special fasteners). The glass railing occupies the entire space from floor to ceiling, offering a beautiful view from the balcony at any time of the year. At the same time, sections are glazed in various ways: sliding, hinged, folding.

For panoramic glazing, glass of special strength is used, with a special coating to neutralize thermal radiation. It looks beautiful and can provide maximum noise isolation. Has a number of disadvantages:

At high temperatures, the glass heats up and heats up the room. Blinds must be provided during installation. In the cold season, it does not retain heat well.
The surface requires frequent washing, since dust is clearly visible on it, water streaks are visible after rain.
The construction as a whole is much heavier and more expensive than any other material.
Installation is risky and requires a high degree of professionalism, so it should not be done by yourself.

With takeaway

The essence of the method is that steel profiles are welded to the balcony parapet, on which a wide window sill is fixed. It is the basis that holds the aluminum or plastic structure for balcony glazing. Such glazing is suitable for narrow and small balconies with a strong parapet.

Modified balconies look beautiful (especially if a greenhouse is placed in them), expand the space practically and visually, and have a functional wide window sill.

The disadvantages include the fact that the own weight of plastic structures is quite large. It is necessary to correctly assess the current operational state of the slab and parapet. Aluminum frames are lighter, but they hold heat worse. On such a balcony it will be cold in winter.

With supporting frame

The most difficult way, which involves serious changes in the appearance of the outside of the balcony and requires a lot of time and several pairs of working hands. At the same time, it is the best, because it allows you to glaze a completely open balcony, which does not even have a visor, and turn it into a warm living space for the next 15-20 years.

This Soviet-style glazing is popular - despite the laboriousness and heavy weight. Its advantages:

A welded steel frame is cheaper than other materials. At the same time, it is distinguished by greater strength and wear resistance.
As a coloring coating, ordinary bathroom enamel is suitable. It gives a beautiful lasting color, gloss, reliable protection against corrosion, and costs much less than PVC.
Possibility to install a canopy. This will not only turn the balcony into a living space, but also allow you to distribute the load over the upper floor and load the balcony slab less.
You can replace the parapet frame. Installing the frame is easier, it costs less, and in appearance it is not inferior to a panoramic balcony in an elite house.
The frame is easy to insulate with drywall and foam.
Any type of windows can be inserted - from traditional wooden to solid glass.
Due to the strength of the frame, only the wind load falls on the glass, so they can be made to any width.
The problem of the old parapet does not play a role. It can be eliminated, and the supporting frame can be made lower or higher than the previous level.

materials

The balcony glazing system is represented by a set of window sashes, a window sill, heat-insulating material (most often it is foam), external sills and interior trim.

The choice of material directly depends on the purpose of the balcony room and determines the final cost of the changes. If the balcony is used as a place for drying clothes and storing preservatives, it makes sense to give preference to budget materials: lightweight frames made of aluminum or duralumin and single glass. Such a balcony will be uninsulated, and the difference with the sub-zero temperature outside will be no more than 6-7 degrees.

If you plan to arrange an office, a playroom for children or a place for receiving guests on the balcony, you should choose more reliable and expensive materials. This will be "full" or "insulating" glazing, which will allow you to use the balcony as a living space at any time of the year or combine it with a room by dismantling the wall between it and the balcony.

plastic frames

They are convenient because they do not require additional efforts to warm the balcony. In the case of a low-budget repair, simple lightweight PVC frames and single glass, massive windows with double-glazed windows are suitable. For better tightness, you can foam the cracks.

The choice of the type of double-glazed windows determines the ultimate goal of the repair. With any technical characteristics that satisfy requests, the basis of windows of this type will be a frame-profile made of polyvinyl chloride. The kit includes all the necessary fittings, as well as a single-layer or multi-layer sealed double-glazed window.

The frame (static element) is mounted in the window opening, and the “stuffing” can be chosen at your discretion: in which direction the sashes will open, whether there will be a window with an impost (cross bars along a horizontal or vertical line), what will be the bars on which the double-glazed window is attached what kind of glass the windows will be made of.

The most common material for the production of double-glazed windows is four-, five- or six-millimeter glass. In a separate group, it is worth highlighting "triplex" - double glass with a layer of transparent tape.

A double-glazed window can be single-chamber or two-chamber - depending on the number and parameters of the chambers.

The PVC frame from the inside also consists of a certain number of jumper compartments (stiffening ribs). Their purpose is to create segments filled with air in the profile cavity. The more compartments, the higher the heat resistance.

The number, volumes and placement of air segments inside the profile are strictly defined, since some of them are necessary to ensure rigidity, some provide water outflow, and some are needed to fasten fittings.

The level of thermal protection directly depends on the thickness of the double-glazed window and the distance between them. The warmest will be the balcony, which is glazed with double-glazed windows of different thicknesses and at different widths from each other. An important role is played by seals, which are laid along the edge of the double-glazed window.

As for glass, its properties can be different:

reflex reflects the sun's rays;
reinforced - fire resistant;
hardened - impact resistant;
colored absorbs solar energy;
laminated provides excellent sound insulation (another feature of the "triplex" is that with a strong blow it does not break into fragments, but cracks and remains inside the film).

wooden frames

Their appearance has undergone significant changes over the past few decades, but the trend towards wooden frames continues to grow. They have a small number of advantages when compared with the same PVC profile: beautiful, natural, environmentally friendly. However, there are not very many drawbacks either - they require high-quality installation and good care. The tree must be treated with special protective solutions and paints, otherwise it will quickly lose its appearance, begin to rot and crumble.

Any glass can be inserted into wooden frames. Cold single without a sealant will make the balcony beautiful, but unusable in the winter season. Expensive insulated double-glazed windows with a sealant will solve two problems at once - both aesthetically and practically.

Stained glass or pseudo-stained glass looks beautiful in wooden frames. It can be ordered from the master or done with your own hands. This can be done using a stencil printed on a printer and ordinary acrylic paints on glass. If there is no time or desire to be creative, you can purchase a ready-made film stained-glass window on any subject in the store.

aluminum frames

Aluminum profile is the most current option for balcony glazing. This is due to the fact that in most old houses the condition of the balcony slab and parapet leaves much to be desired. Installing a heavy steel frame on them is not very safe, and aluminum is light enough and does not give such a load on weak floors.

Convenient aluminum profile on small balconies. It allows you to save or even expand the space by several tens of centimeters (due to the frame with the extension). Frames made of this material look aesthetically pleasing, they are quite durable. If you paint them with protective enamel, the service life will increase significantly.

The most important advantage is that it allows much more light into the room than a profile made of wood or plastic. And this is especially important if the balcony is used as an additional living space, and not a second storage room.

Precautionary measures

Getting started, first of all, you need to think about how to minimize the risk of injury, your own and passers-by below. A miniature home coffee shop in the spirit of Montmartre is, of course, good, but safety is paramount. First of all, it provides a safety belt. Industrial is considered the most reliable, but high-quality sports is quite suitable for one-time work.

When choosing a belt, you need to pay attention to the length of the safety halyard (cable). It should not be too short so as not to impede work, nor too long so that a traumatic jerk does not occur during a fall. The optimal length is 2.5 meters.

It is necessary to take into account the information on the product certificate. The safety belt and carabiner must withstand a load of up to 400 kg. You should not purchase a product without specifying this information and non-certified products.

For the period of repair work, the safety halyard is fixed with an anchor pin with a metal collet. The collet must be firmly mounted into the main wall (at least 15 centimeters deep), and screw the pin into it until it stops - using a screwdriver or mount.

“With your own hands” does not mean alone. Glass is not only fragile, but also quite heavy, so it is recommended to perform independent glazing of the balcony with at least one partner.

When your own safety is ensured, it's time to take care of others. It is unlikely that compensation for damage caused to health from a mount that fell on a neighbor's head is included in the cost estimate for repairing a balcony. The space below should be protected with bright construction tape. It is worth warning neighbors from the upper and lower floors about the planned work.

Training

Balcony glazing requires a careful approach. Preparation for repair work is carried out in stages:

Cleaning. First of all, you need to take things out of the balcony, remove the blinds (if they were installed), eliminate everything that could interfere during work.
Assessment of operational condition. When the balcony is not littered, it must be carefully examined from the inside and outside - for damage, dilapidation, chipped concrete, cracks, rot. If the condition of the slab and parapet is satisfactory, you can proceed to the next step.
Elimination of defects. During the inspection of the balcony, problems made during the construction of the house may be found. Before installing the profile and glazing, it is recommended to level out all the bumps and bevels that can make work difficult.
Security.

How to glaze with a wooden structure: step by step instructions

Self-glazing a balcony with a wooden structure involves a sequence of steps:

Surface preparation for work. When the balcony is cleaned, inspected and put in order, it's time to get rid of all internal and external coatings. Then you need to remove accumulations of dust and other contaminants.
measurements. The accuracy of the measurements of window openings determines how well the frame will fit to the base, so it is important to be extremely careful and double-check the resulting values.
Installation of a wooden "box". The "box" consists of wooden beams that form the base for the frame. It is fixed at the level of the existing balcony railings and the top beam. The side bars are mounted to the left and right surfaces of the wall. All bars are fixed with metal brackets.
Installation of battens for interior decoration of the balcony. If this step is provided for in the repair, it is carried out until the glazing of the balcony. When the surface of the walls, floor and ceiling is sheathed with panels or clapboard, you can proceed with the installation of windows.
Frame installation. Before starting the glazing, the glass must be inserted into the frames and fixed. They are made to order (according to individual sizes), purchased ready-made or performed independently - from profiled wooden beams with grooves.

Glasses are inserted into these grooves, pressed with slats and fixed with nails from three sides.

Treatment of cracks with insulating materials. Even with the most careful preparation, it is impossible to assemble frames without gaps at all, like a good designer. There will definitely be gaps that need to be treated with tow or mounting foam.
Installation of platbands. It is carried out after thermal insulation, in no case before.
Treatment of wooden frames with protective equipment. The coating that protects against moisture is applied in 5-6 layers. The frame can then be patched up, painted, or left clean.

Installation of metal-plastic

The most affordable type of glazing without the help of a master. During the installation and installation process, you will need: a drill, screwdrivers, a hammer, a spatula, a knife, self-tapping screws, mounting foam.

Algorithm of actions step by step:

Rail preparation. 10-15 fragments with an area of 4 by 4 cm, which are needed to align the line of the parapet and correctly align the windows to the horizon.
Removing the double-glazed window from the frame. The manufacturer delivers a one-piece structure made of PVC and double-glazed windows, but before starting the installation of the frame, the glass must be removed, otherwise the frame will be unliftable.

Take out double-glazed windows carefully, placing them in a row against the wall. For reliability, you can shift with a soft cloth or thin foam rubber.

Removing sashes from window hinges.
Installation of a support profile. This is a mandatory element of the kit, necessary for the convenience of installing the window sill. It is only 20 mm high and cannot be installed without a support profile.

To install the profile, you need to turn the frame 180 degrees, insert it into the groove, fix it on the underside of the frame with a wooden (not steel) hammer.

Installation of frame fasteners. Stepping back from each edge of the frame by 15 cm, fix the plates on the top panel - with a hammer and self-tapping screws 3 cm or more long.
Windows installation. The most difficult moment at this stage is to fix the frames on the parapet. It is necessary to do this with assistants so that the frame does not “peep out” beyond the perimeter. It is important to note that self-tapping screws are not driven into the dowel, but screwed in.

After fixing the upper level, the frame will hold quite securely. Then you can fix the remaining sides by connecting them with self-tapping screws at a distance of about 6 cm.

The connected frames are leveled using a level and a plumb line.

Processing cracks and gaps from the outside.
Window sill installation.
Installation of slopes and ebbs. At the same stage, the window perimeter and joints are treated with silicone.
Installation of double-glazed windows according to the instructions.
Hanging sashes.

How to glaze a balcony with sliding windows, see the following video:

Frameless way

Aesthetic frameless glazing is chosen when it is necessary to let in maximum sunlight into the room. It is a sliding system made of impact-resistant glass (transparent, tinted or stained glass). There are no frames and partitions, and the glass at the top and bottom are attached to metal rail profiles.

On the lower profile, under the last sash, a fixing tape is placed, which is needed so that the opened sashes do not touch each other.

Such a balcony can hardly be warm, because it will not work to fit the glass to each other without gaps. The only way to reduce gaps is with acrylic interglazing seals. They are included in the kit and are designed to be put on the edges of the glasses, like covers.

The system is equipped with rubber seals, which are laid outside - between the leaves and the aluminum profile. They are necessary in case of wet snow and rain.

The system seems to be quite light, but at the same time it is very durable (due to thick glass) and perfectly protects against precipitation, wind, and noise. The thickness of the glass is selected according to the height of the balcony. At a height of over 200 cm, a thickness of at least 8 mm is required, at a height of less than 2 m, 6 cm is enough. The width of the wings varies between 60-80 cm.

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