What to choose for a balcony: plastic or aluminum?

Additional square meters are needed in every apartment. Therefore, owners choose how best to glaze the balcony in order to increase the usable area. The choice is influenced by various factors. Let's figure out how to find an option that takes into account the purpose of the balcony space, its technical characteristics and the financial capabilities of the owner.

PVC balcony glazing

So, you are faced with the question - how to glaze the balcony: aluminum or plastic? Without going into details, I will note that the plastic profile is much more massive than an aluminum profile of the same size. Of course, plastic has its advantages. This is good thermal insulation and sound insulation, but you have to pay for it in the overall weight of the structure. For old balcony slabs of Khrushchev and Stalin buildings, this may be an unbearable load.

To install plastic, you need not only a strong remote slab, but also a durable parapet, on which I recommend installing a single-chamber double-glazed window with Multifunctional spraying, which will not only retain heat in the winter, but also protect from the heat in the summer. At the same time, I don’t see any point in installing windows with a profile thickness of more than 60 millimeters. You also need to make sure that your parapet has not collapsed due to corrosion. Otherwise, the parapet will need to be strengthened or remounted.

Read more about strengthening parapets here.

Technical characteristics of double-glazed windows

Warm glazing is faced with the task of creating a comfortable microclimate, which directly depends on the technical characteristics of the double-glazed window:

Number of cameras . The more of them, the better the thermal insulation properties the double-glazed window will have, but not indefinitely. For example, 5-6-chamber windows in this indicator are not much different from 3-chamber windows - they are quite sufficient even for the harsh Russian climate. On the other hand, the more chambers, the higher the total weight of the structure, and, therefore, the load on the balcony slab.

Three-chamber double-glazed window

Type of gas pumped into the chambers. The distances between the glasses in budget products are filled with ordinary dry air. More expensive models use inert gases (argon, krypton or xenon), which have better thermal insulation properties. The gases are absolutely harmless and do not pose a health hazard even if the glass unit is damaged or depressurized.

Glass thickness . The higher this value and the greater the number of glasses, the better soundproofing properties the double-glazed window has. Again, increasing the number of glasses leads to an increase in overall weight.

Type of glass . To improve the properties of window structures, manufacturers are increasingly using glass with special characteristics:

Energy saving. They have a layer of film-forming material, applied using different methods, which has the property of reflecting heat from the room and “returning” it to the room.
Sun protection. The mirror coating reflects ultraviolet rays and prevents their penetration into the room. The use of such products on a balcony with a large glazing surface will protect the walls and furniture from fading.
Triplex or lamination. Several layers of glass are connected to each other using a film or a special liquid. The technology can significantly improve sound insulation properties, strength, and safety - shards of broken glass do not crumble, but remain on the film.

Balcony glazing with aluminum profile

Aluminum, in turn, cannot boast of such good thermal insulation as a plastic profile. Aluminum is, after all, cold glazing for balconies. These are sliding windows (rarely hinged) installed on the railing of a metal parapet. There is no point in insulating a parapet with “cold” glazing; it is best to simply cover it on the outside with siding

, and from the inside with PVC panels or wooden lining.

Lightweight glazing does not create a large load on the external slab. And in the cold season, aluminum glazing of balconies helps maintain positive temperatures on the balcony. Street noise and precipitation will also be delayed by the glass of the balcony.

Approximate cost

The most affordable option is a cold aluminum construction with single glass. Its average cost is approximately 3,000 rubles per m2. Warmer systems with a thermal break made of hollow polymer cost from 10,000 rubles per m2. If compared with metal-plastic windows, then in comparison with cold aluminum their price will be slightly higher. A square meter of inexpensive windows for residential premises will cost approximately 6,000 rubles per m2.

The most expensive and warmest option is windows with thermal insulation filler.

"Warm" aluminum profile ALT W62 in section

In such designs, a wider profile is used, and the thermal break cavity is filled with a special polymer. Price – from 12,000 rubles per m2.

Extension plate strength

The cornerstone in choosing between aluminum and plastic is the strength of the extension plate. The fashion for glazing began in the 80s of the last century and the balconies of older houses are simply not designed for high weight loads. For example, in building regulations from 1996, the load limit for new balconies is 200 kg per m2. Heavy plastic structures can only be installed if your house is new and the balcony slabs are strong enough!

In addition, it should be taken into account that the balcony slab deteriorates over time. And if the house is 40-60 years old, then the indicators can be divided by two. During the day, concrete heats up and expands from heat; at night, it contracts under the influence of cold. This causes many microcracks to appear in the concrete. If water gets into these microcracks and freezes overnight, the concrete simply breaks. As a result, the balcony slab crumbles and falls apart.

Of course, it is possible to carry out work to strengthen the balcony, but this is not always a panacea. To strengthen it, you can make a metal frame and attach its supports to the load-bearing wall in several places. But it’s better not to tempt fate and not to overload the balcony unless absolutely necessary, otherwise the remote slab risks collapsing. And one fine morning you wake up, and the balcony is no longer there.

It is worth noting that glazing balconies with aluminum or plastic reduces the rate of destruction of the slab.

Frame material

Double-glazed windows are inserted into frames made:

made of wood;
made of aluminum;
from PVC.

Despite all the advantages of modern wooden windows, they are rarely installed on a balcony. There are 3 main reasons for this:

High cost: aluminum or plastic frames will cost much less.
Large weight: you will have to strengthen the supporting structures before installing such frames. And this is a serious alteration of the balcony, which requires effort and expense.
Wooden frames must be regularly painted or treated with compounds that prevent them from deteriorating under the influence of the external environment. And when installing them on a balcony, this can be difficult to do from the outside.

Therefore, loggias and balconies are glazed using aluminum or PVC frames.

Don’t know the difference between a balcony and a loggia? Read here.

What is cheaper: aluminum or plastic windows?

In the vast majority of cases, aluminum balcony windows are 2 times cheaper than similar-sized plastic windows. This is due to the fact that double-glazed windows are not installed on the aluminum profile, limiting themselves to only single glass. The profile itself weighs much less than metal-reinforced plastic. An alloy of aircraft-grade aluminum makes this type of window incredibly light and durable. If the price factor is significant for you, then I recommend that you pay attention to aluminum glazing.

On top of that, aluminum glazing for the balcony comes in a sliding version, which completely preserves the usable space of the balcony and does not take up space when opening the shutters. On a balcony with a width of 80 cm -90 cm, any swing door is a real obstacle! And you can’t hang everyone’s favorite clothes dryer. And you won’t be able to open the window all the way.

Having been involved in glazing since 2008, I determined for myself that it is better to glaze balconies with light aluminum. It saves you from rain and wind, but I wouldn’t make a “birdhouse” out of it, on which there will be no room to turn around, and it’s scary to go out again.

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RUB 5,255 Single-leaf window of the basic standard with a tilt-and-turn sash (500*1200mm) profile: ULTRA (62 mm) fittings: ULTRA double-glazed window: single-chamber

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RUB 2,820 Single-leaf window of the basic standard without opening (600*1200mm) profile: ULTRA (62 mm) fittings: ULTRA double-glazed window: single-chamber

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RUB 7,650 Basic standard double-hung window with tilt-and-turn sash (1000*1200mm) profile: ULTRA (62 mm) fittings: ULTRA double-glazed window: single-chamber

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RUB 9,799 Basic standard three-leaf window with tilt-and-turn sash (1500*1200mm) profile: ULTRA (62 mm) fittings: ULTRA double-glazed window: single-chamber

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RUB 11,410 Balcony block of the basic standard with a tilt-and-turn door (1300*1900mm) profile: ULTRA (62 mm) fittings: ULTRA double-glazed window: single-chamber

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Which sliding windows are better to put on the balcony?

The most popular are the two-runner designs of the Provedal system. It should be noted that this is just a system, and the labels on the windows may have a different name. They are all about the same quality. Why them? Sliding double-slide aluminum windows can be opened very wide by bending the sashes in any direction. If you need to wash a window, all sashes can be easily and quickly removed and then put back in place. However, not all windows are created equal. During my practice, I have seen many aluminum windows. We work with 3 leading factories and each of them makes windows from a two-slide aluminum system, but the quality is different for everyone, as are the prices)). The main difference between them is the fittings (latch rollers, etc.), that is, those things that directly affect the long-lasting and successful operation of the window. It is difficult for a non-professional to judge the quality, especially if it is his first time glazing his balcony. Therefore, you have to be guided only by price. Therefore, I advise you to contact professionals who will help you avoid mistakes and choose a quality product, since they guarantee what they deliver to their clients.

Accessories

The quality of the fittings determines the tightness of the closure, tightness, security against burglary, the functionality of the sash and, in many respects, the service life of the double-glazed window. Therefore, it is better to give preference to reputable brands. The traditional leaders in the window fittings market are German and Italian manufacturers: Rehau, Siegenia, Maco, Roto, GU, Aubi, Winkhaus , etc.

For balconies on low floors, it is recommended to provide anti-burglary fittings that will prevent entry into the apartment from the street. If there are children in the house, it is necessary to install removable handles, locks and blockers. For a balcony door, it is better to provide a double handle that can be opened from the inside and outside - this will significantly increase ease of use.

Temperature difference between plastic and aluminum glazing

To begin with, it is worth noting that by installing plastic windows on the balcony, you will not make it as warm as a living room. The finished glazed room will need to be additionally heated. Heating a balcony comes down to installing a battery, or (which happens more often) installing an electric heater or heated floor. If you do not heat a plastic balcony, then the difference between the balcony and street temperatures will only slightly exceed aluminum glazing and amount to 5-7 degrees. PVC windows also provide parapet insulation, without which “warm” glazing loses all meaning. From the outside, the insulation is covered with siding.

Siding is vinyl cladding. The material protects from wind and precipitation, making the façade more attractive. Vinyl siding weighs less than metal siding, but metal siding is more fireproof. The choice here is entirely yours.

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