Features of a French balcony
Owners of French balconies have mixed feelings about this design. Some see a lot of advantages in it, others see only disadvantages. The main advantage is that there is no need to spend money on its glazing and cladding. In addition, he:
- visually expands the space;
- does not interfere with the penetration of sunlight into the apartment;
- makes it possible to implement a lot of decorating ideas. In other words, a French balcony is needed solely as an aesthetic and even romantic element.
People who are far from romantic think that they are unlucky with a balcony. Among its shortcomings they note:
- lack of space to store household belongings;
- inability to use it for drying clothes;
- a panoramic window in summer is more of a disadvantage than an advantage, since the sun's rays provide even more heat, requiring the installation of an air conditioner or fan;
- the lattice sometimes requires additional strengthening so that you can safely go out onto the balcony and lean on it.
French balconies differ from each other in the height of the grille, depth, width, the presence or absence of a mosquito net, the material from which the grille is made, and other characteristics. The fencing of a French balcony can be cast iron, aluminum, plastic, etc.
Read here! Balcony fencing - materials, railing designs and coating options (80 photos)
The choice of material depends on whether or not it is necessary to lighten the structure. Aluminum and metal-plastic are used for this purpose. The latter is cheaper, but superior to aluminum in soundproofing properties.
The width of the balcony depends on the width of the panoramic window. Doors to the balcony can have different designs, from regular hinged ones to upward or sliding ones.
Installation, installation, insulation and decoration of the balcony
If we are talking about a classic French balcony, then there seems to be nothing simpler.
Four stages:
- Installation. Fixation in a certain place, preferably by specialists, perhaps even those from whom you ordered the forged lattice.
- Installation. Make a large window, equip it with a balcony door, and install a wrought iron fence.
- Insulation. This question can be removed altogether, since there is nothing to insulate here, and the heat for such a balcony is the natural flight air temperature. A variation is a balcony with a large window and a wrought-iron lattice.
- Decor. Again, the classic option is flowers. Vertical, horizontal, transverse - whatever you want!
If we talk about a modern French balcony, you shouldn’t take on all the work yourself. Invite specialists who will make all the necessary calculations. For example, they will calculate the same wind load, maximum weight, glazing area, number of double-glazed windows.
The principle of installing a French balcony (video)
A French balcony is a very stylish design, but combined with insulation, it is quite expensive. It requires inviting specialists to carry out the work, good care and proper registration.
Good luck with your choice!
Comments
0 Adelina 04/28/2016 21:21 A French balcony is not even a balcony, but a kind of decorative element.
It’s beautiful, of course, when it’s well-groomed and covered with flowers, but, to tell the truth, I like the regular glazed version better. Quote
0 Zhenya 04/19/2016 09:44 A miniature forged balcony is a decorative item first and foremost. Suitable for decorating a private home when there is a desire to make a large window in the attic without creating a real balcony.
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0 Elena 02/19/2016 15:00 The French balcony is an interesting decorative element in the apartment, but for the most part it is not practical. Expansion and glazing can improve such a balcony; darkening the lower part of the balcony is a very good solution. The French balcony will remain decorated with flowers, and it will be stylish and beautiful.
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Update list of comments
What are French balconies?
The classic design of a French balcony is enclosing it with a convex lattice of elegant forging. There is also a decorative cornice along the bottom to strengthen the structure. the modern version is much simpler in design and is a box made of double-glazed windows with a small protrusion outward.
The decoration of a balcony located on a brick facade is a relief arch made of the same brick, framing the upper part of the window, and sometimes turning into a frame around the entire window.
Modern design is close to high-tech style: a metal rectangular grille made of straight elements without any smooth bends and in the complete absence of decorative elements. The window in a strict frame of a metallic shade also corresponds to it. It is the modern design that allows full glazing, unlike a wrought-iron balcony, on which the glazing looks ridiculous.
Although today French balcony glazing is increasingly used, when the structure has a minimum of frames and looks quite light due to the large amount of glass.
It is used not only for narrow, but also for ordinary balconies and loggias. However, you need to understand that you can no longer arrange a warehouse of things on it, since it will be on public display. French glazing should be accompanied by a stylish design.
Today, glass with one-sided transparency is at the peak of popularity. From inside the apartment, it provides a good view of the street. But when you look from the outside, you don’t even suspect that the owner of the apartment might be looking at you, since the glass seems opaque.
Correct installation of the structure
Before we talk about the installation of fences, it should be noted that French balconies and windows are completely different concepts. A French balcony is a load-bearing concrete structure fenced right next to the doorway, rather reminiscent of a large window. Therefore, the first step of installing a balcony involves dismantling the window sill. Before you start “breaking walls”, you need to make sure that this part is not an element of the supporting structure.
Scheme in "Stalin"
The second stage of installation is the selection of suitable metal-plastic elements. The important thing to remember here is that most of them are quite heavy, which means you need to make sure that the concrete frame will hold up.
French glazing of balconies comes in two types:
- exclusively with double-glazed windows;
- double glazed windows plus slabs.
By the way, a glazed balcony no longer requires additional thermal insulation or heating. To get maximum benefit, it is better to use energy-saving glass and double-glazed windows. As for doors, swing or sliding systems that do not require additional space look amazing on the balcony.
We also must not forget about some of the dangers of structures, in particular this applies to glass fences. A fence made entirely of glass can hardly be called safe enough, especially if the apartment is located on the top floors. Therefore, it is better to resort to a combination: install protection in the form of a forged decorative system around the glass wall. Do you want to protect the world of your apartment from prying eyes? Then it is better to make a glass fence covering the entire wall from a translucent material, glass transparent only on one side.
Making a French balcony with your own hands
Romantics who are ready to exchange a warehouse on a balcony for an elegant structure really do exist. Today, the phenomenon of turning an ordinary balcony into a French one is quite common.
Before starting work, representatives of a company engaged in arranging balconies come to the site, take the necessary measurements, carefully study the degree of wear of the slab, discuss ways to strengthen it, and also discuss the design of the future balcony with the owners.
At the next stage, the old fence and frame are dismantled. The old slab is also removed and replaced with a new, shallower one. The slab is the main part of the structure. Safety for those who will relax on this balcony depends on its strength. Then a new grille is installed, and decorating the balcony is the work of the owner.
For glazing a French balcony, metal-plastic or aluminum is used. Often the structure in the lower part is opaque, and a double-glazed window is installed in the upper part. It is important that the balcony railing is securely fastened, especially if there are small children in the house.
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