A beautifully decorated balcony can be considered the “face” of a house or apartment. In addition, renovated balconies and loggias have long been used as an addition to residential square meters. For example, here you can organize an extension of the bedroom, a separate dressing room or a small winter garden.
Balconies with panoramic glazing look especially impressive. With their help, you can give a unique look to the facade of any house or distinguish your apartment from the rest. Especially if you resort to some design tricks and interesting design solutions, which we will discuss below.
Window decoration
In addition to finishing, curtains or their equivalents play a key role on the panoramic balcony (photo below). They are needed to ensure privacy if the apartment is located on the lower floors or close to a neighboring house; protect surfaces from fading in the sun; adjust the level of illumination for comfortable rest or work.
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Which window design to choose?
- A universal option is light translucent tulle. If you need additional protection from the sun, you can complement it with plain drapes or Roman blinds.
- For modern trends (minimalism, hi-tech, loft), blinds or discreet roller blinds are suitable.
- If you periodically need to completely block the flow of light, use blinds with 100% protection.
- French or Austrian curtains, as well as a frameless variation of Roman curtains with beautiful drapery, will organically fit into the classic style.
Curtains may not be used if the apartment is on a high floor and far from neighboring houses. And additional protection from ultraviolet radiation can be provided by tinted double-glazed windows with a special reflective coating.
- Decoration
Curtains for the balcony: tips for choosing and 40+ cool ideas for inspiration
Panoramic windows in the house - honest experience of the owners
Home/Home/
March 29, 2020
The dream of luxury is a floor-to-ceiling window in your own house outside the city. It’s so beautiful when light fills the house, and an entire wall in the living room or bedroom is completely made of glass. What are the feelings of those who have tried it, what can ordinary people expect from panoramic glazing?
Thinking theoretically or watching foreign films is one thing; real reviews from experienced residents often do not coincide with hopes. What awaits those who dare?
1. Calls to the cleaning service, a window cleaning brush on a long handle and a stepladder. This huge glass surface must be kept spotlessly clean; the slightest dirt becomes noticeable from the inside and outside. Cleaning it is much more difficult than a standard window, especially one divided into frames. Professional help is needed like the proverbial air. According to the owners' reviews, she spends her entire vacation outside the city enthusiastically washing them, and there is no end to the process. You can, of course, invite professional cleaning; there are many willing. But the cost of this service is considerable, and besides, you don’t always want to communicate with strangers during your vacation.
2. Installation costs will be too high. Saving may result in the window not closing. You will have to choose high-quality models with sliding or folding ones. By the way, the snow outside will also have to be cleared constantly, otherwise the runners will become clogged with crystals and freeze. They can only be moved if damaged.
3. There is a need for heated floors throughout the house. Convectors will also be needed so that the air does not stagnate. The larger the windows, the higher the heat loss; panoramic glazing essentially heats the area around the house. In addition, it would be strange to place a simple radiator next to such an effective design solution: household appliances negate the entire effect.
Therefore, you will have to think about two options: Either a convector built under the floor. It will cut off the flow of cold air from the glass wall, and forced circulation will distribute it in the areas of the room necessary for the owner. Or warm floor. Cold air flows along the bottom of the windows cool the floor, even if the convector is turned on. It is better to heat strategic zones additionally by installing heated floors.
Another need is a huge washing machine. After all, giant windows require giant curtains, otherwise there will be no escape from the sun in summer. Curtains require washing, no matter how you look at them, because windows take up at least four-fifths of the wall. Tens of square meters of fabric will not fit in a regular washing machine, but taking them to the dry cleaner from the dacha even sounds strange. You will have to wash each curtain yourself, or separately, or the entire set in a new washing machine.
Beauty, of course, costs a lot, and living in a beautiful, cozy home is worth it. The house becomes brighter, warm floors create coziness. The main thing is that all this pleases you and is constantly maintained in good condition.
According to user reviews, panoramic windows are not at all intimidating, this is what is most often written in the comments:
- If you don’t put the housework on one person, two people can clean all the windows in less than an hour. Everything is for sale, convenient tools are available, the main thing is to find a break between the sofa and the kitchen!
- very beautiful windows, but heating bills are rising significantly, a good incentive to find additional income;
- The floor along the window can be lined with flower pots so that there is no temptation to walk in the cold. And plants without radiators winter well and bloom early in the spring.
So, European beauty and modern solutions are almost on the doorstep; the main thing is to come up with the home of your dreams and allow yourself to live in it.
Comments (12)
Gulnara 05/26/2020 at 21:40
Panoramic window on the 8th floor. Beauty, you can see half the city. But! We live in Crimea. The window faces southeast. Sun in summer from 5 am to 1 pm. There is a natural greenhouse in the room. In winter it’s warm, the same greenhouse. Often in winter it is not clear what the temperature is outside. It seems warm, sunny, but when you go out it’s cold, at least come back and change clothes. I had to hang the thermometer on the north side. I don’t know how it is in the middle zone, but in the south it is better to make panoramic windows facing northwest.
Pavel 05/18/2020 at 15:57
In the Moscow region we have a house made of timber with full-wall windows facing the south side - in winter, it’s -20-30 outside and the sun is shining - we turn off all the heating in the house and wear T-shirts - because the sun heats up the whole house for a long time.
Peter 05/08/2020 at 22:13
It seems that the author himself has no real experience in using panoramic settlement and does not know how the problems he describes are solved. Another one in the series, what I see is what I sing!
Igor 04/27/2020 at 11:58
We wash such windows with a car wash (Herscher) in 10 minutes - all windows, the pressure reaches the second floor, there are extension nozzles,
Alexander 04/26/2020 at 18:12
A set of layman's misconceptions. Modern double-glazed windows sometimes have a thermal conductivity lower than a half-meter brick wall. What kind of in-floor convectors are we talking about? And to prevent the air from stagnating, ventilation solutions are installed during construction, be they natural or forced. In terms of cost, again, a square meter of warm glazing is almost comparable to the price of a square meter of a wall with insulation, vapor barrier, and decorative finishing inside and out.
Andrew 04/25/2020 at 22:30
No problem. 56 meters of panoramic windows in the house - one wall is completely transparent. We can handle it ourselves, heated floors. The view is like in the picture - forest and lake.
Maxim 04/25/2020 at 17:01
For cold and humid climates, there has long been a solution; these are heating windows, which will allow you to eliminate the mandatory installation of complex heating systems in your home and reduce heat loss. If interested write
Julia 04/22/2020 at 18:06
Terem has very cool cottages with panoramic windows. Project Emperor is my dream! If the heating in the house is properly organized, there should be no problems due to such windows
Gsajh 04/22/2020 at 09:36
The glass is thermally protective, and there are robots for washing, since the monsieur did not have enough money to pay for the services of service personnel.
Olga 04/05/2020 at 12:26
Very beautiful, I would like it, but... All of the above played a role. My friend in Sochi has windows like this in her house. But this is Sochi. Curtains (8 meters) cannot be washed. It's easier to throw it away and hang new ones.
Gennady 04/02/2020 at 18:28
Exactly the same with a heat pump for underfloor heating!!! Yes, forget when everything will pay off!!! It's important to get it NOW! And no one will ever save money to keep his house warm!!!
Gennady 04/02/2020 at 18:24
Only an idiot can compare instant savings - they will never buy in 100 years! It's about instant savings when the sun starts to warm the house!
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Legal aspect
Laws should be respected. All kinds of violations may result in prosecution and unnecessary material costs.
In a private house there will be no problems with such windows, but in an apartment you need special permission
There are some conditions, violation of which will lead to trouble. First of all, the project must be approved by the BTI ( Bureau of Technical Inventory ). After its approval, approval of the appearance takes place with the APU ( Architectural and Planning Management ). Finally, the project is approved by the housing redevelopment inspectorate .
At any stage of approval, refusal to carry out work is possible
They may refuse due to the historical significance of the building. In this case, you will have to abandon your plan. Otherwise, if panoramic windows are erected without authorization, a court decision will be made to dismantle and restore the façade of the building to its original form.
Panoramic windows will help increase the space of the room
Types of panoramic glazing of a balcony
There are two ways to glaze a balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows. They differ in appearance, design and are suitable for different cases of using a balcony room.
Frameless glazing
As you can guess from the name, this type of glazing does not require frames. This design looks like a completely glass box - it gives the impression of a weightless balcony.
Special tempered glass is mounted on roller guides at the top and bottom, then secured to each other and to the sides. The doors open towards the inside of the balcony or are moved like an accordion.
Advantages of frameless glazing:
- interesting design;
- ease of maintenance and operation;
- maximum room illumination;
- maximum visibility.
The process of installing panoramic glazing on a balcony
If you have decided to implement a plan to reconstruct your balcony, have collected all the necessary permits and chosen the appropriate option, you can begin construction work.
To begin with, it should be noted that the recommendations and tips given are for informational purposes only. Carrying out such work on your own is dangerous, especially without the necessary skills and experience. Therefore, it is better to entrust high-altitude work to professionals.
Preparing the balcony
Before installing the glazing system, the balcony must be prepared, namely:
- remove all things from the balcony;
- remove old glazing and frames;
- clean structures from dust and debris;
- strengthen the balcony slab.
The last point requires special attention, since the safety of the premises will depend on the quality of the work done.
So, in order to strengthen the balcony ceiling, you need:
- Using steel corners, strengthen the perimeter of the slab on the floor above - this will allow it not to collapse under the influence of the weight of the glazing;
- Reinforce the balcony parapet with welded metal structures. Particular attention should be paid to surfaces that will come into contact with the glazing structure;
- When expanding the area of the balcony, both the lower floor slab and the upper one move forward.
Finish options
As for finishing a panoramic balcony, you can use lining, paint, plastic panels or tiles for the ceiling.
Floor coverings should be selected based on the chosen design. The use of tiles, porcelain stoneware and laminate is equally appropriate here.
Walls may be covered with wallpaper. Or they can be lined with panels made of plastic or wood. Unfinished surfaces are welcome only in the loft style.
Note!
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Types of glass
Glass for panoramic glazing must meet certain requirements. They must be shockproof, with a thickness of at least eight millimeters.
According to their properties, glass is divided into:
- Mirror
- Tinted
- Electrochromic
- Low emission
Tinting is provided by sticking protective films.
The mirror surface of the glass is achieved by applying special coatings. Electrochromic glasses can change the transmission of light, and are controlled by a remote control. Low-emissivity glass, also energy-saving, blocks infrared radiation.
Flowers as part of the design solution
The design of a balcony with panoramic glazing must include indoor flowers, because their role in creating a comfortable climate is invaluable.
The choice of varieties depends on the style direction and budget. Plants can be used to decorate the floor, walls, and ceiling. Tapestries are especially relevant.
Note!
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Tips from the designer
Panoramic glazing will decorate not only the balcony or loggia outside. A big plus is the beautiful landscape outside the window, and not the view of a factory chimney or a garbage dump.
The design of panoramic glazing uses a wide or narrow profile, the color range of which is quite diverse. All that remains is to choose.
The main thing will be the view from the inside of the room
Stained glass glazing is composed of modules of different sizes, using different types of glass.
If there is a need to protect personal space, then the lower part of the structure is decorated with tinted or colored glass.
Frameless glazing looks as if it is hanging in the air: impressive and light. But in this case the balcony will not be warm.
The design of the structure itself may tend towards the classic version, when modules of the same size are arranged in elongated rectangles
To choose the type of panoramic glazing, you need to fix your priorities. The balcony will remain a separate area, or it will be combined with an adjacent room. Will it be a winter garden, an office, a relaxation space or a gym. Having put together ideas about what should be the result, we set about drawing up a project for panoramic glazing of the balcony.
Choosing material
To insulate a balcony with French windows, you need to choose a thermal insulation material. In this case, it is necessary to take into account not only its ability to retain heat, but also the weight, thickness of the fabric, and the required number of layers. During insulation, the possible load on the balcony slab should not be exceeded. In addition, if the thickness of the final layer exceeds the size of the metal profile, the swing sashes of the French window will not open.
A wide range of thermal insulation materials are offered on the market. To insulate a French balcony, the following are used:
- Polystyrene foam is one of the most budget-friendly materials. Due to its low cost and light weight, it is widely in demand. It is easy to work with polystyrene foam, it has a fairly long shelf life and is resistant to impacts. Mold and fungi, easily tolerates temperature fluctuations. However, this material also has its drawbacks. Polystyrene foam sheets are fragile, as a result, the heat insulation layer must be protected with sheathing; in addition, foam plastic is “afraid” of paints and organic solvents, and is demanding on the quality of the rough surface.
- Penoplex is a more modern insulation material. This material is made from extruded polystyrene foam. It has excellent performance characteristics: increased strength, can be used even in conditions of high humidity. Manufacturers offer it in the form of slabs of various formats.
- Foil polyethylene foam. The most common products are the Penofol brand; this name has even become a household name. The material is made of polyethylene foam, the canvas is covered with a layer of aluminum foil on top. Thanks to this, it reflects heat. Penofol is sold in rolls and is easy to work with. Thin sheets of penofol (from 4 to 15 mm) are usually used in conjunction with other insulation materials.
- Mineral wool. This material is usually classified based on the raw materials that were chosen for its manufacture. Mineral wool can be glass, slag or stone. The material is distinguished by increased noise and heat insulation properties and tolerates exposure to elevated temperatures well. Nevertheless, mineral wool is often used to insulate French balconies. Condensation can form on the balcony, and mineral wool is a hygroscopic material. The result may be the appearance of mold in the apartment.
