Having a balcony in a house or apartment does not always mean that you will be able to spend your free time on it. Often, especially in balcony blocks, the space is limited by the presence of a window and a balustrade. These are the so-called French balconies, which are found not only in old neighborhoods, but also in modern construction. What really attracts people to French balconies? Why are they becoming more and more popular? Read more about this in this article. Check out the architectural details that will work on a modern home façade.
French glazing of the balcony
Today it is quite fashionable to use French balcony glazing. This option dismantles the limitations of a traditional balcony with full glazing, that is, from floor to ceiling. Glass is installed on the lower part of the balcony:
- transparent;
- matte;
- tinted.
As well as plastic sandwich panels.
The advantage of French glazing of a balcony lies not only in improving the aesthetic qualities of the facade of the house. The role is much broader than in the case of typical balconies, which open the room to the surroundings. Its big advantage is also its excellent interior lighting.
French balcony in Khrushchev
Khrushchev-era apartments are known for their limited space. However, modern design solutions allow you to expand even the narrowest space. Cramped Khrushchev buildings are dismantled into fairly spacious studio apartments, decorated with French balconies, which, thanks to full glazing, pour a huge amount of natural light into the room, visually expanding the space.
The French balcony is a detail well known in architecture since Baroque times, but recently it has appeared on the facades of domestic houses. Most often these are balconies with window walls, i.e. mounted at a height of about 15 cm above the floor and reaching to the ceiling. Windows can function in different ways:
- opening all doors;
- partial ventilation;
- blind glass.
Regardless of the shape of the glazing, it is advisable to protect a French balcony in a Khrushchev-era building with a balustrade.
Advantages and disadvantages
The presence of a French balcony on the facade gives the building uniqueness and style. The variety of shapes and various types of external fencing emphasize the individuality of the building. In addition, the design has the following advantages:
- the absence of a boundary between the outside world and the internal environment creates a feeling of lightness and spaciousness, making it easy to relieve tension;
- a large influx into the room allows you to save on lighting; in addition, ultraviolet radiation is an excellent means for destroying various pathogens;
- fencing installation technology in most cases allows one to avoid labor-intensive welding and concrete work;
- when installing a balcony, insulation and expensive finishing will not be required;
- the design allows you to place a small greenhouse or flower bed;
- The original and stylish appearance of this architectural element gives the building a special charm and uniqueness.
Along with these advantages, regardless of design, French balconies also have some significant disadvantages:
- the price of panoramic double-glazed windows from leading manufacturers, which provide sufficient glass strength and have high heat and sound insulation characteristics, is far beyond the budget category;
- many owners of such balconies are embarrassed by the lack of a window sill;
- if such a balcony is located on the south side of the building, additional shading will be required, otherwise in the summer it will be quite difficult to ensure a comfortable microclimate in the room and protect furniture and other interior elements, including wall and ceiling decoration, from fading in the sun;
- if there is a French balcony, the consumption of glass detergents increases significantly, which leads to additional financial costs;
- the device on the lower floors has a negative impact on the privacy of housing, since it greatly simplifies the view from the outside of the building.
Despite all these shortcomings, originality and attractive appearance have ensured French balconies the widest popularity, especially in the premium private sector.
French panoramic balcony: on which facades
The question of what a French balcony is is worth studying if you decide to make a modern renovation in your apartment. This is an architectural detail that fits perfectly into the minimalist forms of buildings and is very often used in modernist implementations. French balconies are readily used in projects of energy-efficient houses, since the absence of balcony slabs reduces the risk of thermal bridges. Due to the vertical shape of the glazing, they visually lift the building and give it a more graceful shape.
The French balcony is one of the rather characteristic elements of external walls. You can get a compact, architectural image of the facade if you choose window profiles that match the composition and fit balustrades to them. Their colors should be in harmony with other details of the facade. Designs are often combined, for example, with the color or material from which the roofing was made or the façade walls were finished. Very fashionable are profiles made of aluminum or with metal overlays, which give the windows a modern, somewhat industrial character, emphasizing the beauty of large-scale glazing. If the house has a more traditional shape, you can use timber or uPVC windows with a clear design.
Balustrade fencing for French balconies
Balustrades also play an important aesthetic function. They not only protect against falling out, but are also used as mini-gardens, since flower beds can be hung on them. The balustrade of a French balcony, in contrast to solutions typical of the classic version, is very closely connected with the window, since the proximity of the glazing in many ways makes it an integral element.
The modern character of the building will be emphasized by large panels of 8mm safety glass or high-quality plexiglass. Glass balustrades must be made of laminated safety glass. Even after a strong impact, it remains grippy and does not cause injury. Stainless steel or aluminum railings are also often used. They can be in the form of simple elements thanks to aluminum or complex structures in the form of wrought iron.
Specifications
Before collecting a lot of documents and approvals, it is important to find out about the restrictions for installing French windows.
● Dilapidated, unreinforced floor slab - warm floor glazing weighs much more than a cold metal structure, so to install a French balcony, the floor must be in serviceable condition and additionally reinforced.
● Level of wind load - in regions with strong and frequent winds, increased requirements are put forward for the installation of glazing. The number of fastening points increases, and the size of glass sections decreases.
Advantages of French balconies
Not everyone can afford to have a large spacious balcony on which they place a clothes dryer, table, chairs or even a solarium. Apartment dwellers have a much more limited design because the exterior of the block's facade is designed in advance, in particular you can find the mentioned French balconies or loggias in older houses. However, more and more people are choosing this solution in single- and multi-family buildings. Why is this so? It's simple - the main advantage of French balconies is their price. French windows usually do not have a platform or balcony slab. Their design is very simple because they consist of balcony doors or high window frames attached to the façade. The next important advantage is undoubtedly that they provide much more light to the rooms than traditional balconies. For this reason, full glazing is perfect for narrow and large rooms. A French balcony, as well as a traditional one, if it is properly secured with balustrades, will be safe for everyone, especially for children.
As you can see, a French balcony can also be beautiful. In addition to the above-mentioned advantages and the complete absence of defects, a wide range of balustrades for balconies of this type is extremely important. The choice depends only on the taste and needs of the customer.
How to choose decor and arrange a space: ideas for a balcony, photo
Usually, to decorate a balcony, gratings are used - decorative or structural window grilles that divide the window into regular geometric shapes. It would be optimal to use multi-colored glass rather than ordinary transparent glass. Stained glass windows, which are a simple ornament or picture, will make the appearance of the balcony original and well-groomed. Also, a decorative option can be considered beautiful unusual fittings, which give the balcony a finished look.
It is appropriate to decorate panoramic French windows with cotton curtains, for which it is better to choose a plain fabric with an unobtrusive floral print, complemented by applique or embroidery. A practical option is to use a combination of horizontal blinds and curtains made of transparent light silk, chiffon or organza. There are other options for curtains that look original on windows:
- Roman curtains. They are considered the most convenient, and it is advisable to decorate each sector independently;
It is better to decorate the panoramic windows of a French balcony with curtains of a certain stylistic direction
- Austrian curtains. Most often, such curtains cover only the upper third of the window, leaving open the space below eye level. The laconic form of these products will not overload the windows with textiles.
