What are French balconies, few knew in the territory of the Soviet Union. This architectural creation was almost never found in typical high-rise buildings. And only in recent years, when developers began to use European design, forged French balconies began to decorate the facades of houses. Before laying such a type of window or balcony into a building construction or reconstruction project, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with all its positive and negative sides.
How did the idea of a french balcony come about?
It is known that the French window was called the “floor” window with a small wrought-iron fence protruding from the facade wall by 14-20 cm. The appearance of this architectural refinement was caused by the absence of toilets in European houses. That is, people used the windows as a latrine and spilled the contents of “night vases” directly onto the street through them.
Or they just sat on the edge of the window to handle their natural needs. It is clear that the high windowsills did not have a safe seat, and the French window to the floor, and even with a convenient fence that did not allow a person to fall back forward, was simply a find for the residents of Paris and other progressive cities.
Description
The French balcony is, in fact, a large window, starting from the floor level, closed outside with low rails. The platforms under it on the facade of the building are made no wider than 40 cm.
The French balcony in the house looks elegant and unusual because of the wrought iron railing. It is characterized by unique patterns and ease of perception.
Currently, the so-called French loggias and windows have appeared, they are united by a characteristic design feature - an opening from the floor level.
The French balcony from the room looks like a large window, transmitting 2 times more light than a regular, standard window opening.
Differences from the standard
To understand what French balconies are, you need to know the main differences in their design. About it further.
First of all, there is no impot in the window block of the French balcony - a vertical rack dividing the opening into the left and right half. The French window opens completely to the whole panorama.
The French balcony has no walls and sometimes a floor, which does not require its elementary decoration. Whereas the standard design must be aesthetically finished with plastic or other materials.
There is no parapet on the French balcony, so its glazing is carried out completely - from the floor to the very top. The glass area of a regular balcony is less due to the parapet. In this case, much more light enters the room.
In the cold regions of the country, the French balcony is glazed so that it is possible to ventilate the room without opening a large window. This allows you to save heat.
Positive sides
French windows on the balcony, like the design itself, have a number of obvious positive aspects that must be taken into account when planning construction or reconstruction.
Firstly, this type is rare for the countries of the former Soviet Union. Accordingly, it will attract the eyes of passers-by, give the facade of the house a unique uniqueness and sophistication. It is enough to see the French glazing of the balcony in the photo to understand how original it is.
Secondly, a large window area allows more daylight to pass into the room. For the northern latitudes, this is quite a significant advantage because the sun appears there because of the clouds quite rarely.
Thirdly, when examining the French balcony inside, an indescribable feeling of flight and freedom arises when looking at a wide opening on the street. This is especially felt on floors above the third.
Fourth, the French glazing of the balcony on the loggia does not allow turning it into a closet for old things, because this whole warehouse will be perfectly visible from the street. A large glass will make the room clean and spacious, thereby expanding the living space.
Fifth, what are French balconies, people have learned relatively recently. Therefore, they use modern double-glazed windows for their glazing, which retain heat well and have amazing sound insulation.
Sixth, the owners of an apartment or house with this element of decor have no problems with the improvement or repair of panels that close the balcony. After all, they are not in this device in principle.
Seventh, the French doors to the balcony do not require additional strengthening of the opening and the area under it. After all, it is known that the margin of safety of a slab for a balcony, for example, of ordinary Khrushchev was designed for 3, maximum, 5 years, and in fact they stood much longer. This, by the way, makes modern balconies the most dangerous place in the apartment, hundreds of cases of collapse of such structures under their own weight have already been registered.
The negative sides of the french balcony
For all its novelty, lightness and grace, French balconies have a number of negative sides. Since double-glazed windows are very expensive, much more expensive than regular finishing materials, the creation of such a design can “cost a pretty penny” to the owner of the apartment, who decided to make it at home. And in this case it will not be possible to save on cheap double-glazed windows, since the large area of the balcony door and window requires good heat and noise insulation.
Another difficulty of such a balcony is the preparation for installation, because you will have to disassemble a part of the parapet, which is usually a load-bearing wall, that is, a rather thick and durable structure.
The large area of the balcony does not allow you to wash the glass yourself outside, so the owners have to hire industrial climbers for this, which is also quite expensive.
With improper installation, cold air penetrates the slots, and in summer the room warms up too well with the hot sun.
Sometimes people with agoraphobia have French balconies causing a sense of panic, of course, such sufferers cannot live in a room without a parapet.
In the absence of dense curtains or blinds, an “aquarium effect” occurs, especially at night. People indoors are viewed from the street quite clearly.
How safe
What are french balconies? This is essentially a large window with a railing. It does not even have a small platform that could collapse under its own weight. That is, this design of the balcony because of its simplicity is absolutely safe. The only negative that lies in wait for a person on such a balcony is the likelihood of dizziness and, as a result, falling out of the window. But such a situation can arise on an ordinary balcony, and in front of a simple window.
How to apply for installation permission
Before equipping a French balcony in a house or apartment, a number of permits must be issued. Firstly, from a management company that monitors the condition of the building, since the geometry of the window opening will be changed during the construction process. Especially if it is the bearing wall of the building.
Secondly, you will need to obtain permits to change the facade of the house in the city construction department.
All work must be carried out only through a construction company that has a certificate for this type of activity, otherwise penalties may follow, and it will be very difficult to legalize documents in the BTI.
French balcony price
The price is built from several positions:
- The frame can be plastic, aluminum, versatile - all this comes at a price. The brand of the manufacturer is also important - domestic or imported.
- If the frame is made of wood, then the price depends on the species used in the construction.
- Glass can be tempered laminated or thin simple.
- The layout of the frame and the number of glass units.
- Quality and material of which the fittings are made.
- The presence of dimming on the glass.
- The number of windows and doors in one order.
- General quadrature of windows and doors.
- The price is affected by the height above the ground and the difficulty of preparing for installation.
- Material and decoration of the railing.
Minimizing the cost of a balcony can be done in different ways, while not giving up on the quality of the work performed. For example, you can order a window from a domestic manufacturer. After all, the equipment of such factories, and the materials are often the same. The price depends on the "untwisted" brand. Well, we must not forget that the cost of imported material includes transportation of products. The installation of the balcony should be carried out in the summer, then the price of the services of industrial climbers and builders is much lower.
If you change all the windows at once in the whole apartment, then the manufacturer of works, and the supplier of windows and double-glazed windows will most likely make a tangible discount.
If everything is done correctly, then the cost of one balcony can vary from 35,000 to 65,000 rubles. Many companies are happy to provide credit for this type of service. Moreover, a loan can be issued on various conditions that are beneficial to both the supplier and the consumer.
Conclusion
The French balcony looks unusual and elegant, but along with its advantages, such designs also have disadvantages. Before starting work, you should assess the situation, weigh the pros and cons. It is advisable to consult with a specialist.