BALCONY WINDOWS: MATERIALS AND NUANCES

Balcony - can be used all year round if you choose the right glass and insulation.

Consider the following parameters to select the most suitable glass option:

Material of window frames. There are models on the market from different materials: aluminum, metal-plastic and wood. Some manufacturers offer combined solutions. So you can install a wooden frame that connects to the street with an aluminum profile for more air resistance. As for the glass, it can be used without frames, panoramic, stained glass or ordinary frames.

Thermal insulation

There are two options for thermal insulation: hot and cold. The first is designed for balconies, which are a full-fledged part of the living space, the second is suitable for an isolated balcony, whose main function is to protect from the weather.

If there is no need to turn the balcony into a living space, it is enough to make structures from a light profile - for example, aluminum. This is usually a single glazed or single glazed double glazed window. In this case, no additional insulation is used or used to a minimum. Cold glass does not provide thermal insulation - in winter the temperature on the balcony will be only a few degrees higher than on the street.

To make the balcony comfortable at any time of the year, it is worth choosing a warm profile for the windows. Such systems consist of several insulated chambers and are complemented by polymer additives for further thermal insulation. With their help, you can achieve the warmth of such a room in the frost. Hot glass provides additional sound insulation. But keep in mind that these glasses allow relatively less natural light. The disadvantage of this design is also heavy and can not be installed in every home.

How to choose frames for balcony windows?

Not only the appearance, but also the noise and thermal insulation properties of the room depend on the frame of the structure. The balcony can be glazed using the profile of the following materials:

Aluminum

The lightweight material is therefore chosen for long balconies (more than six meters in length. Aluminum is easy to paint, which gives you the freedom to choose the color. But aluminum profile is inferior to plastic in terms of thermal insulation.

Plastic

There is more variety between the plastic options, and the frames are heavier than aluminum, more expensive, but retain heat well.

Board

Frames made of natural materials are rarely used. Although such frames look good in any interior, the construction will be much more expensive than plastic and at the same time lower in terms of weather resistance. They need to be cleaned and repaired more often.

There are options for frameless windows. This solution allows you to make the balcony as bright as possible, but provides low thermal conductivity and sound insulation. Installation of such systems can be carried out only by qualified professionals.

There are different types of glass. Before deciding on a design, you should take measurements and get acquainted with the characteristics of the building, learn the maximum load.

Glass work is not cheap, but you should not choose options that are significantly cheaper than their competitors. As a rule, cheap work means that the warranty is incomplete, and the glass will soon become unusable.