How to seal a hatch on a balcony from above

The feeling of joy from buying a new apartment is dulled when new residents see a fire hatch on the balcony, which spoils the appearance of the room and takes up free space. The mood drops even more if initially it was planned to arrange a cozy office or other useful area on the balcony. However, you should not immediately fall into despair and regret the unsuccessful deal. A couple of interesting construction solutions will help you get around this drawback without violating the regulatory requirements specified in GOST and the house design.

Is it possible to weld a hatch on the balcony?

The first question that arises among owners of apartments with balcony hatches is whether they can be sealed tightly. It occurs for several reasons:

due to insufficient sealing of the hatch joints, drafts occur even on an insulated balcony (especially if the neighbor’s is not glazed);
for the same reason, if the balcony on the floor above is not glazed, moisture can penetrate through the hatch joints during rain;
An easy-to-open fire hatch can become a “magic door” for burglars and other intruders.

On the one hand, the purpose of the balcony hatch is clear and logical - it is an emergency exit from the apartment in case of an emergency (for example, a fire). The owner of such a balcony should feel safe, and vice versa, maintain free access to this exit.

In fact, the security issue turns around the other way, since cases of robberies through balcony hatches were quite common during the period when designers actively used them. Let's look at the issue of the permissibility of brewing this balcony element in more detail.

From a legal point of view

First of all, let's look at the problem from a legal point of view. You need to look for the answer to the above question in the following documents:

Set of rules SP 1.13130 of 2009 “Evacuation routes and exits”;
SNiP 21-01 of 1997 “Fire safety of buildings and structures.”

From these, we can highlight several theses that will help you figure out whether you need such a hatch on your balcony or not. Namely:

if the total living area of an apartment building is from 500 m2 per floor, each floor must have two or more emergency exits;
in cases where the total footage of apartments is less than the above number, only one emergency exit is allowed per floor and one emergency exit in each apartment above the fifth floor.

The balcony hatch is the same emergency exit that should serve as an additional way to exit the apartment in case of an emergency. It differs from an emergency exit in its lower capacity. Another important note: despite the fact that the hatch is located on the territory of your apartment, it is owned by the utility service.

This means that dismantling, welding, locking, covering balcony hatches with cabinets and cabinets is prohibited by law. The same applies to dismantling a balcony fire escape.

On practice

Most often, the presence of such an element on the balcony is pointless. Most likely, the hatches at the top and bottom are already welded or closed in other ways. Therefore, the likelihood that neighbors will complain about the lack of access to your emergency exit is extremely low.

You only need to be wary of official fire safety inspections, but they, as a rule, are not carried out in residential buildings without reason (or are carried out extremely rarely).

Fines for fire safety violations

If a violation of fire safety rules was detected by the fire inspectorate, the owner may receive a fine and an order to return the emergency exit to its original condition.

The fines for individuals range from 2,000 to 3,000 rubles. This punishment is established under Article 20.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation of 2001, “Violation of fire safety requirements.”

It also states that instead of a fine, a warning may be issued, but this option will definitely not work for entrepreneurs and legal entities, since their responsibility also extends to strangers.

Please note that in the event of a fire and death in an apartment building due to the lack of emergency exits, law enforcement agencies will begin to look for the culprit of the emergency. If it is determined that a person’s death occurred due to a closed hatch in a particular apartment, its owner may be brought to criminal liability.

If you seal up a fire exit, you won't think it's enough

Assuming the seditious thought of sealing a fire exit, remember that such an act will reduce the level of safety of your entire family and your neighbors above. In accordance with existing SNiPs, access to a fire exit must always be accessible and possible.

If you nevertheless commit this violation, you will suffer the following punishments:

fine up to 4000 rubles. If a previously noticed violation has not been eliminated, the fine will increase to 5,000 rubles;
imposing on you the obligation to eliminate the violation at your own expense and restore the functionality of all elements of the fire exit;
criminal liability if people suffer due to your fault.

However, the problem of a fire exit on the balcony can be solved without breaking laws and without exposing yourself and others to danger. We will outline one of the recipes for solving this problem below. It does not consist in closing the exit, but in disguising it.

Do you know how to properly and effectively insulate a balcony? You will find valuable recommendations in this article.

How to seal a balcony hatch

A standard escape hatch is a metal cover attached to a metal corner frame. The dimensions of the hatch “in the clear” (that is, the hole itself) must be at least 600x800 mm.

There are several different ways to seal this balcony element:

Weld the hatch around the edges;
Seal the hatch under the finishing layer of the floor;
Seal the structure and create a decorative cover.

It is better not to use a radical method of welding the hatch, since if checked, it will be difficult to return the element to its original form - you will have to order a new frame with a cover and install them again.

The second method is suitable for those who want to make high-quality repairs on the balcony and use its space as a living room.

The last option can be considered a compromise, since in fact the hatch will remain functional, but will not spoil the appearance of the balcony. The only negative is that it is undesirable to install furniture in its place.

Sealing a balcony hatch

It is necessary to seal the hatch joints so that moisture and cold do not penetrate into the room through them. This is possible if the balcony on the floor above is not glazed. Likewise, rainwater from your balcony can flow through a hatch to your neighbors below.

To ensure the tightness of the hatch joints, the following materials are suitable:

polyurethane foam in combination with moisture-resistant sealant to seal the joints between the concrete slab and the hatch frame;
PSUL sealing tape for joints between the cover and the hatch frame.

What GOST says about fire hatches and ladders

Before scolding the developer who installed such an unattractive element on the balcony, let's turn to the regulatory documents: SP 1.13130.2009 (Escape routes and exits) and SNiP 21-01 (Fire safety of buildings and structures). The section on the operation of apartment buildings establishes fire safety rules:

If the total area of residential premises on one floor exceeds 500 m², at least two emergency exits must be provided.

If the total area of residential premises on a floor does not exceed 500 m², in addition to one emergency exit, which is located on the floor, an additional emergency exit must be provided in each apartment located at a height of 15 m.

Stairs on the balcony - not the most pleasant surprise from the developer

The same SNiP defines the following types of emergency exits:

Exit to a balcony with a blank partition between the window or doorway and the end wall over 1.2 m.
Exit to a balcony with a blank wall between glazed openings over 1.6 m.
Exit to a balcony equipped with fire hatches that lead to the lower and/or upper floors.
Exit to the roof of a building of fire resistance classes 1, 2 and 3 through a door, window, hatch.

If the building has apartments on each floor with an area of more than 500 m² and two emergency exits, or if the balcony has a blank partition of appropriate parameters behind which you can hide in case of fire, then there is no need to equip an emergency exit in the form of a hatch. In another situation, the developer is simply obliged to provide an additional means of escape, as required by the state standard. Naturally, when purchasing an apartment as a shareholder, you should be warned about this nuance. Not all construction companies do this, fearing a drop in demand for specific housing.

Often the presence of fire hatches is discovered already during the construction of a house.

There is an alternative

Many people want to turn the most ordinary apartment into a beautiful, cozy home. The loggia plays an important role. But what to do when you are “lucky enough” to live in an apartment with a balcony already “decorated” with emergency exits? Some refuse to buy housing that has a staircase on the loggia. But in vain. A little imagination - and these elements play not only the role of rescue structures, but also decorative ones.

Folding staircase for balcony

To improve your balcony interior, it’s easy to find an alternative to the standard balcony staircase by choosing a more elegant option in a specialized store.

Stairs for balconies are:

folding (the most popular);
vertical.

Can't buy a new one? It’s worth trying to improve the existing option: shorten the structure a little, position it not diagonally, but strictly perpendicular to the ceiling.

Is it possible to close the hatch and cut off the stairs on the balcony?

Seeing a hatch with a ladder on the balcony, the owners want to get rid of such a structure as quickly as possible. The problem is not limited to the aesthetic component. Since an emergency exit of this type connects the floors, theoretically the neighbors below and above have access to the room (if the apartment is not on the top floor).

Some apartment owners are not satisfied with this state of affairs; they voluntarily get rid of stairs and hatches. You can do this only at your own peril and risk. If the elimination of the emergency hatch is discovered by representatives of the fire inspection, a fine will be imposed on the homeowners with an obligation to restore the structure. If a fire occurs in the house, which results in human casualties, and one of the reasons for the tragedy is the lack of an emergency exit in the apartment, the owners may be held criminally liable.

A cut fire escape goes unnoticed until the first emergency situation

Which design to choose

Relocation to the second floor must be designed to accommodate the service life of the facility. They serve as a key element to the comfort of your home, so it's worth considering whether your home would perform better if you changed the position of the staircase. Removing walls between rooms, expanding or changing the purpose of a room may mean changing the direction of travel. When planning, think about which room it would be most appropriate to place it in.

Staircase in the style of Minimalism

Interesting solutions for finishing the staircase on the balcony

Developers are not particularly concerned about the appearance of fire escapes, so they initially look rough. As with the hatch, this situation can be easily corrected with a little imagination.

Application of decorative paint

A simple option is to paint the stairs with paint with the effect of a precious metal: copper, bronze, gold, silver. It is not necessary to do a monochromatic painting. If you have artistic skills, apply patterns or drawings that will allow the structure to be perceived as a decorative product, and not a fire safety element.

Painting a fire escape "gold"

Creating shelves for plants

The balcony, especially in the warm season, is used for growing indoor plants. If there are too many pots, the issue of placing them in limited space is relevant. The presence of a fire escape frees home craftsmen from the need to manufacture wall mounts. In this case, stair steps can serve as the basis for flower shelves. The main thing is to first take care of the anti-corrosion coating so that constant excess moisture when watering plants does not cause the metal to rot.

Indoor plants will disguise the stairs on the balcony

Wall bars equipment

In addition to a home greenhouse, a balcony is often used to create a sports corner. There are all conditions for this. If you use a fire escape as a wall bars and hang a horizontal bar and an abdominal bench on it, you will be able to perform exercises for almost all muscle groups. It is enough to exercise on such a simulator 3-4 times a week to keep yourself in excellent physical shape.

Sports and balcony are completely compatible concepts

At the top, the fire hatch on the balcony is located in a kind of niche, the depth of which increases even more when finishing the ceiling. This feature allows you to use a folding structure, which takes up a couple of centimeters when folded, instead of a stationary ladder. This solves the issue of free space inside the room, and in the event of a fire, the stairs simply fold out to evacuate residents.

Folding staircase structure - an ergonomic solution to the issue of fire safety

Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely seal up the hatch on the balcony and get rid of the stairs without breaking the law. However, it is possible to finish such a structure and thus bring the room into a favorable appearance. If you don’t want to do this yourself, invite specialists who will quickly bring back the joy of buying an apartment. Act exclusively within the law.

What GOST says about fire hatches and ladders

If the total area of residential premises on one floor exceeds 500 m², at least two emergency exits must be provided.
If the total area of residential premises on a floor does not exceed 500 m², in addition to one emergency exit, which is located on the floor, an additional emergency exit must be provided in each apartment located at a height of 15 m.

Stairs on the balcony - not the most pleasant surprise from the developer

The same SNiP defines the following types of emergency exits:

Exit to a balcony with a blank partition between the window or doorway and the end wall over 1.2 m.
Exit to a balcony with a blank wall between glazed openings over 1.6 m.
Exit to a balcony equipped with fire hatches that lead to the lower and/or upper floors.
Exit to the roof of a building of fire resistance classes 1, 2 and 3 through a door, window, hatch.

Before starting work

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the technical and operational requirements for fire communications to protect yourself from problems with the relevant authorities. According to their regulations, residential buildings must be equipped with two or more emergency exits. In multi-storey buildings, the situation is as follows - any apartment that is built at a height of fifteen meters or more must be equipped with an additional exit.

Is it possible to close the hatch and cut off the stairs on the balcony?

A cut fire escape goes unnoticed until the first emergency situation

Remodeling in stages

Cut the finished structure and adjust it to the desired height.
Using dowels and bolts (more than 14 mm in diameter, more than 100 mm in length), attach the structure to the wall with metal clamps. (As an option, they use so-called crutches - a piece of pointed reinforcement hammered into the wall between the bricks).

If it is not possible to fix it against the side wall, use a homemade metal frame for fastening. Also, if your talents allow, you can weld and forge a decorative fire escape yourself. It takes a lot more work, but the result is worth it. Installing a new purchased staircase will take less time. It is better to opt for folding structures, which are always easy to hide right under the fire hatch cover, completely freeing up space on the balcony.

Please note: How to get rid of wasps on the balcony

How to improve the hatch on the balcony

GOSTs talk about the presence of an emergency exit, but say little about the structure itself. The only requirement is that the clear opening size should not be less than 600x800 mm. This means that some manipulations with the fire hatch and ladder are permissible without affecting their main function - emergency evacuation of residents in the event of a fire.

Sealing the hatch

In the standard version, the fire escape hatch on the balcony is a metal cover that is adjacent to a frame made of a metal angle. There can be no question of the tightness of such a structure. If the neighbors above have not glazed the balcony, some of the rain and melt water will end up on your floor. To prevent this from happening, seal the hatch. This activity needs to be carried out on the ceiling and floor; flooding the neighbors below is also undesirable.

Polyurethane foam is used to seal large gaps between the frame and the concrete base. Please note that foam is not a sealant; when exposed to moisture, it loses its properties. Therefore, after the foam has dried, additionally treat the joints with a special sealing compound.

When sealing the hatch cover, do not forget that it must open. Curing sealants will not work. To protect the junction of the hatch and the frame from leaks, use sealing tape, such as PSUL. This material has an adhesive backing on one side, with which the tape adheres securely to any surface.

Sealing the fire hatch on the balcony is necessary if there is an object on top that is not protected from precipitation

Insulation and camouflage of the hatch

Equally important are measures to insulate emergency exits. Metal has one of the lowest coefficients of thermal resistance, so in winter an uninsulated hatch will be the main source of cold.

It is difficult to sheathe a metal hatch with insulation and still leave it functional. Therefore, an additional cover is used, which prevents the penetration of cold into the room and masks the emergency exit.

The frame of the lid is made of a material that matches the finishing of the balcony, after which insulation (expanded polystyrene, mineral wool) is attached to the inside. To insulate and close the hatch on the balcony floor in this way, you need to raise the floor level a few centimeters. It is easier to do this using a wooden frame, which is covered with a chipboard or OSB board and a finished floor covering.

In case of successful camouflage, only the nearby staircase will indicate the presence of a fire hatch