How much can a balcony be enlarged by law?

How much is it allowed to increase the living space?

If you are planning to remodel your old balcony, then completing the paperwork in this case is easier than when creating a new balcony. According to the law, expanding a balcony is possible without paperwork if the additional area is no more than 30 cm. Of course, 30 cm is very small and many people choose the option of obtaining a permit. The best option for obtaining additional living space is to increase the area by 50-100 cm. If you extend the balcony along the window sill by 30 cm, this will visually greatly increase the area, but this will not be enough to place a sofa or table there.

When the balcony is expanded by more than 30 cm, this is a redevelopment, so it must be documented.

Tips for transforming a balcony into a living space.

To turn an insulated balcony not only into a great place to relax or work, but also to successfully decorate the interior of a house or apartment with it, you need to carefully consider its design and combination with the character of the style of the living space.

The minimum number of pieces of necessary furniture, the use of mirrors and sliding windows, the choice of light colors of the walls and ceiling will visually increase the visual space.

By embodying your favorite colors on the balcony, arranging bright decorative elements and stylish things, flowers, figurines, crafts and all kinds of lamps, you can achieve stunning success in creating comfort and coziness in the additional living space.

Preparation of documents for work

To obtain legal permission, the following procedures must be followed:

Collect written consent to expand the balcony from the organization operating the building and your neighbors.
Contact the city department of architecture, which is assigned to the district, and write an application for housing redevelopment work. The application processing period is one month, but in most cases it takes longer.
As soon as you receive a response to your application, you should contact the organization involved in the development of such projects.

The organization must have and upon request provide all necessary licenses and approvals.

Upon completion of the development of documentation, the project must be approved by the following authorities:

architectural management;
fire service;
gas service;
sanitary and epidemiological station.

When all approvals have been completed and all signatures have been received, the city department of architecture issues a permit to carry out construction and installation work.

Construction works

Expansion of the balcony can be done in 3 ways:

Butterfly technology.

In this case, the balcony is extended along trusses, which are attached to the outer wall of the house on two sides and at an angle of 45 degrees.

Klondike technology.

With this option, glazing is carried out outside the parapet. Thanks to this method, it is possible to expand the space by only 30 cm on each side. Of course, this method is not expensive and quite simple. To do this, you need to install the window frames on brackets that are attached to the parapet or to a frame welded from the floor. The result is a fairly spacious balcony.

Expansion along the slab.

This method allows you to significantly increase the total area of the balcony; this work is carried out in several stages.

First, you need to cut off the old parapet and build up the frame of a new load-bearing slab.

To do this: the channel should be deepened into the wall by 25 cm, this is done above the slab and on both sides of the base of the slab. The channels are connected to each other with strong steel corners. Then a new parapet is installed along the enlarged frame. The area that extends beyond the old slab can be covered with any material, tin, lining, and so on.

It is advisable to cover the new floor with boards, finish the parapet and weld the frame for the glazing. This procedure for increasing the balcony area is quite labor-intensive and requires obtaining permits from the relevant authorities specified in the law of the Russian Federation.

What is this procedure?

Expansion of a balcony is usually called the procedure for increasing its area.
For this, different methods are used, the choice of which is determined by a number of factors:

age and condition of the house;
wall construction material;

location of the house;
status of the building (architectural or historical monument, cultural heritage site, etc.).

It must be borne in mind that the procedure for expanding the balcony itself is a rather complex set of engineering works.

However, the process of official registration and obtaining all permits is a much more difficult task. In addition to administrative obstacles, there are objective reasons why expanding the balcony is impossible.

You must keep in mind in advance that you will not be able to obtain permission if:

the balcony is located on the façade facing one of the central streets of the city;
the house is of cultural or historical value;

the age and condition of the house do not allow any changes to be made to the design;
neighbors and residents of adjacent apartments are against such an expansion.

There are other reasons why expanding a balcony is a very dubious procedure. This is the design of the balcony slab itself. It has limited load-bearing capacity. Any additional load may cause the balcony to collapse.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the age of the house - every year the condition of its structures deteriorates.
This is a natural process, but in our case it is more important. The fact is that the standard load-bearing capacity of a balcony slab decreases with age. This does not mean that after a certain time the balcony will fall off.

Simply, officials from architectural and construction organizations will not give permission to carry out any work if the house is old enough.

Methods

The size of the balcony is the length and width of the balcony slab. Expansion is a procedure for increasing its area by expanding the slab in any direction, both in length (along the plane of the facade) and in width (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the facade). This procedure is called expansion along the balcony slab.

The height of the balcony cannot be changed, since this parameter is tied to the height of the floors of the house and cannot be changed without violating the rights of other residents.

There is also a method of expansion by moving the glazing beyond the standard balcony parapet with the preliminary installation of a durable support system. Here the slab itself remains in the same shape, and the volume of the balcony is increased due to glazing. This option is called expansion or removal along the window sill.

Another expansion option is to create additional areas by glazing the side parts of the balcony with an offset along the area adjacent to the wall. They are shifted outward, causing the configuration of the balcony glazing in plan to take on the shape of a trapezoid. This method is called "butterfly".

There is also a corner version of the design that expands the balcony. This is a way to increase its area by adding a triangular block in one of the corners of the balcony. The difference from the “butterfly” is that the expansion is carried out along the slab.

It is necessary to take into account that all these methods have a lot of disadvantages and are used only in the absence of serious contraindications. There should be no technical problems, and it is also necessary to formalize the redevelopment and obtain all necessary permits.

Coordination of work carried out

After construction and installation work, it is necessary to put the extension into operation.

For this purpose, a commission is assembled and acceptance tests are carried out.

By law, the commission usually includes representatives:

from the city council;
from the utility service;
employees of the company who were developing a project to expand the balcony.

If all construction work has been completed correctly, the building complies with the design and the tests have been successful, then on site the commission signs an act of acceptance of the building for operation.

After signing the act, since the total and living area has been increased, it is necessary to make changes to the documents on the ownership of the housing. These documents then need to be registered at Companies House.

In addition, you must register the plot of land under the structure you have erected if you plan to add a balcony and build a foundation under it. Otherwise you will have to pay a fine.

Useful video on the topic

Analysis of the key points of the technology for expanding a balcony by installing external glazing using the example of a specific object:

TOP 5 mistakes in installing a metal frame on an external balcony:

TOP 5 questions when expanding a loggia/balcony:

If the expansion requires major changes to the existing structure, take a responsible approach to project development, approval, and selection of finishing materials.

Comments

TheAmeliaDeWitt:
01/08/2021 at 20:53
It is possible to have warm glazing of the balcony with removal, finishing and insulation, and installation of heated floors. This can only be realized if the balcony slab is designed for high loads.
Answer

Recommendations

Of course, a lot of documents need to be collected in order to expand the living space of the apartment and not break the law. Therefore, many owners resort to slightly expanding the balcony so as not to have problems with the law and not to spend large sums of money on restoration and construction of the foundation. Of course, the redevelopment may not be legalized, but over time, residents may encounter a lot of problems, and this is especially important if in the future they want to sell their apartment. The biggest problems in the absence of documents arise when registering an inheritance, so it is advisable to think about this before starting construction work.

Related article: The difference between a balcony and a loggia SNIP

Way out

In some cases, it is possible to expand an apartment without occupying a plot of land, thereby avoiding additional paperwork. Usually a balcony is made as an extension to the house, but you can make it suspended, thereby reducing the number of approvals.

The second way out of a difficult situation is to contact specialized law firms that will carry out all redevelopment approvals for a fee.

How to coordinate an increase in balcony area

Life experience suggests that any attempt by a citizen to improve their living conditions is associated with incredible bureaucratic red tape. How to get through this stage with the least losses?

Obviously, similar questions have repeatedly occurred to many owners or tenants of apartments in buildings with balconies or loggias. And it is also interesting due to the fact that there is not yet enough established case law to give an unambiguous answer to it. Nevertheless, we will try to identify the main pitfalls that a person may encounter when trying to solve this problem on their own.

Two options for increasing the balcony: coordination in both cases

Extension of the balcony for external glazing

First of all, we need to discuss what kind of increase in the size of the balcony we are talking about? If we are talking about an increase of 25-30 cm when installing external glazing, creating a shelf for flower pots, placing an insulation package and cladding outside the balcony, then there are no problems with such an increase in the area of the balcony.

In any case, there are no examples of citizens being forced to approve changes of this kind in official bodies. Or, at least, it is extremely difficult to find such examples.

Such an increase in the balcony would be better coordinated

It’s another matter if there is an increase in the size of the balcony with a significant increase in the load on the supporting structures of the building. For example, when refurbishment of a balcony involves attaching additional structures (extension frames, brackets, etc.) to the balcony slab, increasing its dimensions; when filling the space formed by these structures with concrete or creating capital infrastructure in any other way.

This kind of alteration can be classified as unauthorized construction, unauthorized reconstruction of a building, with all the ensuing consequences. This kind of reconstruction should be approved by the Moscow Housing Inspectorate. The list of district housing inspections, where, in fact, you will have to contact, can be viewed on the Internet at https://mgi.mos.ru/contacts/izhn/

How to do it most reliably

The most reliable way from the point of view of mechanical strength should be considered the creation of a rigid supporting frame. It is installed on the wall so that the new balcony slab is raised above the old one and does not transfer any load to it. The frame is assembled from rectangular pipes and reinforced with diagonal rods attached to the wall with anchors.

As a rule, organizations involved in such projects use this particular version of the supporting structure. It has an important advantage - the old balcony slab with unknown parameters is not used, which eliminates the risk of collapse of a worn or weakened structure.

If conventional glazing with extension is planned, the additional supporting structure is assembled by installers from an organization that produces plastic windows. These are quite qualified specialists with considerable experience in such work. They guarantee their work, so you don’t have to worry too much about the consequences.

However, a preliminary examination of the balcony slab will have to be performed in any case. First of all, the owner himself is interested in this - he will live in this apartment, and risk reduction is his main goal.

Algorithm for obtaining approval documentation

The balcony has been expanded quite a bit, but living has become more convenient!

How to obtain permission to glaze a balcony

The consent of supervisory authorities is required not only to increase the area of the balcony, but also to its ordinary glazing. How to obtain such “permission” - read the article on our website “Permission to glaze a balcony, fines and approval of illegal glazing of a loggia.” Extending a balcony can also be qualified as its illegal repair. How to solve problems with inspectors and officials in this case - read on our website! If you decide to improve your living conditions by adding a balcony to your apartment on the ground floor, then an article can help you at: https://oknanagoda.com/balkony-lodzhii/yuridicheskie-voprosy/yuridicheskoe-oformlenie-pristrojjki-b.html

An artistically designed extension of the balcony will only decorate the building

If you live in a house of historical value, you will need approval from the Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow (Pyatnitskaya St., 19).

In the event that the expansion of the balcony occurs as part of its connection to the residential premises of your apartment, then a number of additional approvals will be required, which are listed in more detail on our website.

5. It must be remembered that, according to the current Housing Code, a balcony (loggia) is not part of the apartment. It is part of the common property, which is managed on behalf of all residents of the house.

It is the neighbors' claims that are the main reason why the courts force the dismantling of all those structures through which you will be able to increase the area of the balcony or loggia. The most obvious examples of this are: a court decision in Chelyabinsk, which forced the dismantling of additional space and utility lines installed on the balcony following a complaint from a neighbor, whose apartment wall had cracks; a court decision in Vladivostok requiring the balcony to be restored to its original condition in connection with a complaint from a neighbor who complained about the deterioration of the lighting in her apartment.

Related article: Open balcony in a country house

Therefore, obtaining consent for the reconstruction of the balcony from all residents of the house is a mandatory condition for obtaining permission to increase the area of the balcony.

We are thinking about the project

The main principle of project development is to remember that the service life of a residential balcony should be equal to the estimated service life of the building, or, if possible, be as close to it as possible. Almost any repair will mean a new cycle of suffering and associated costs.

Methods of combining

What role the balcony opening will play in the new room is not only a matter of design and convenience. Let's look at the possible options in order.

Methods for attaching a balcony to a living space (enlarge by click)

In the first case, the opening remains as it was (Fig. on the left). Technical difficulties in design are of the usual order, and as an addition to the living room or a family dining room combined with the kitchen, the additional meters are quite suitable. For kitchens, this is generally the preferable option: a laminate slab laid on the shelf of the window opening will serve as a serving table and allow you to comfortably dine at a narrow table: remember, kitchen balconies are usually small.
The second method (Fig. in the center) differs from the first, seemingly insignificantly, but in fact fundamentally: a column in a former window opening can be included in the supporting structure. If the calculation using the first method gives a negative result, then the second may be acceptable. Most often, this situation occurs in one-room apartments with a large loggia, and this is a favorable circumstance: the bedroom turns out to be more isolated, especially if you cover the window opening with a light decorative panel. The air exchange will still be sufficient.
The third method (Fig. on the right) is the most difficult both technically and in terms of formal difficulties in coordinating the project and obtaining permission: part of the main wall breaks. Of course, it can only be justified in a corner one-room apartment with a loggia and an additional window in the long wall. In this case, by equipping the loggia with a heated floor and installing a solid light partition with a sliding door in the balcony opening (no special permits are required for this), we get a full-fledged bedroom. In the niches formed inside it, a dressing table and a flat cabinet or shelves for boudoir small items are suitably placed.

Frame

The frame of a balcony or even a loggia with a reliable stone parapet must be welded from a metal corner. It is advisable to install pipe stands not only in the corners, but also on the sides of the windows to be opened. This frame works like a set of airplane wings with fabric covering. Monococcal designs are not suitable: the profile is not the same.

Stem and visor

It is also necessary to provide extended glazing and a corresponding welded canopy, even if the balcony is covered with a slab on top. In addition to convenience (the window sill protrudes outward rather than inward), this will improve aerodynamics and thermal engineering: the entire structure becomes more streamlined, and an obtuse angle conducts heat worse than a straight one. We will talk about the thermal properties of such a balcony in combination with the exterior finishing in the corresponding paragraph.

Glazing

For glazing a permanently inhabited balcony, only PVC windows are acceptable, and for a climate that is a step or two more severe:

For a moderate climate - with a developed system of internal cavities and double-glazed windows, as for a cold, harsh climate.
For northern regions - with a frame that is especially strengthened in terms of heat and mechanics and a three-chamber double-glazed window (Arctic).

Each window must be placed in a separate frame cell. Conventional PVC glazing is designed on the principle of a chain seam: it is easy to assemble on one side, but a weakened or broken stitch will cause the entire seam to creep. From this point of view, a balcony is not a T-shirt, but a sail, and the “stitches” of the windows should be connected according to the principle of a sail seam.

If you plan to do glazing and reinforcement work yourself, read more about the technology of such work and the actual installation of plastic windows.

Glazing sections should not be made too wide or high: remember about the air ram. By splitting the glazing vertically in a ratio of 1:3, we get both a good overview and sufficient strength.

The number of windows to open should be kept to a minimum; They are especially dangerous on corners. The best option is one hinged/hinged window in the middle. If the surrounding landscape is not very pleasing to the eye, it is better to sew up the sidewalls entirely with insulation.

Insulation

In a residential balcony, you need to insulate all surfaces except the wall that is common with the room and the opening of the balcony block: external walls, floor, ceiling. Insulation is combined multi-layer, if you count from the outside to the inside:

For the floor, of course, a layer of polyurethane foam is excluded, but we take thicker plywood: 16-20 mm versus 8-12 mm for walls and ceilings. External cladding.
Polystyrene foam on a slatted frame (see picture on the right).
In the cavities of the stem and visor there is polyurethane foam.
Plywood sheathing.
Interior decorative finishing.

Read more about comprehensive independent insulation of a balcony here.

Exterior decoration

For exterior finishing, the highest quality materials should be used, certified and with an estimated service life of at least 15 years on the outside:

For the roof of the canopy - a durable coating like ondulin; painted galvanized, etc. no good.
For cladding the bottom - plastic lining for external use or siding (details about cladding with siding are here).

An important point: for the roof you should use a light material due to solar heating in the summer, and for the bottom cladding, on the contrary, DARK. In terms of heat, this bottom works as follows:

In winter, the rays of the low Sun heat up the dark surface, and thanks to its outward slope, it additionally captures its radiation reflected from the snow.
In summer, the Sun stands high, and its rays fall on the dark skin at a very oblique angle or parallel to it - excess heating is minimal.

What a properly converted balcony looks like from the outside is shown in the figure above.

Interior decoration

Warm materials should be used for interior decoration; the rest is at your discretion. One of the good options is covering the balcony with wooden clapboard. Also among the popular ones is plastic finishing.

Threshold and general floor

Raising the common floor to the level of the balcony threshold in residential premises is not always desirable. It is also undesirable to knock down the threshold: technical and paperwork issues become more complicated and the possibilities of insulating the floor on the balcony are reduced. The best option is a ramp.

About power supply

No matter how the residential balcony is documented, the wall between it and the main room is still considered external. Therefore, installing permanent electrical wiring to the balcony (and, by the way, heating there) is strictly prohibited. The only thing that is acceptable is a waterproof lamp. The lighting problem can be easily solved: in the window opening you can hang lamps that will give the balcony a stream of light of the required strength and direction.

As for household appliances, the correct way to power them is as follows:

In order to carry out the work, we wall up a pipe with an internal diameter of 20-30 mm in the corner of the window opening.
At the end of the work, we pull a round electrical cord 3x1.4 square meters through it. mm.
In the main room, this cord ends in a plug that plugs into a standard wall outlet.
On the balcony it is also equipped with a socket strip for 3-5 sockets, suspended from the wall.
Balcony ceiling lights are connected with a flexible cord to a plug near the extension cord.

According to all the rules, such power supply is a simple household electrical extension cord, which does not require any permits or approvals.

Bottom line

Combining a balcony or loggia with a room is a long, troublesome and expensive task. But even taking into account all possible difficulties, the increase in both the cadastral assessment and the market value of the converted apartment far exceeds the cost. And in terms of time, adding a balcony is much less than accumulating the amount necessary to expand the living space in other ways, not to mention paying off the mortgage.

Balcony extension

Expanding the balcony is a popular procedure today that allows you to increase the area of the room.

The owner of an apartment in Khrushchev may have a desire to expand the premises, since the area there is small, and the presence of a balcony is a good way to increase it. You can enlarge the room yourself or by turning to professionals for help.

Light work that does not require additional permission is carried out independently. For example, such a procedure as increasing the window sill with certain knowledge and skill is quite accessible to any person.

In old houses, even minor changes need to obtain permission from the relevant authorities. In the “Khrushchev”, by law it is allowed to increase the balcony on all sides by a maximum of 50 cm. There are cases when the increase was carried out over a greater distance. Without obtaining permission, you can expand by 15-30 cm along the base of the slab.

Professional consultation is required for any significant design changes. All stages of increasing the balcony floor and replacing the parapet must be carried out in high quality and with high-quality materials.

Getting permission

In some cases, to reconstruct a balcony, you need to obtain permission from various organizations: design organization, BTI, Gorekspertiza, Ministry of Emergency Situations, fire inspectorate and others.

If the house in which the balcony is being expanded is an architectural asset, its future appearance must be agreed upon with the relevant organizations.
Installation of a concrete base is considered redevelopment. In the case of installation, you need to obtain permission regardless of the size of the balcony increase.
In Khrushchev, permission must be obtained if the expansion is made by more than 50 cm.
The balcony fencing is attached to the walls of the house, so the condition of old houses must be checked before reconstruction.
In addition to the size of the balcony increase, you need to pay attention to the weight of additional structures. If large loads are expected on the walls of the house, then the procedure also needs to be agreed upon by various authorities.
All checks before expanding the balcony are carried out for the sake of safety and comfort: your own and those around you.

Despite the fact that the balcony is part of the apartment, that is, personal property, it belongs to the common property of the house. Its changes affect the appearance of the house. Enlarging the concrete base can limit light access to neighbors below. Errors in work can lead to cracks in neighbors’ walls and other undesirable consequences.

Therefore, in addition to agreeing on all the requirements according to GOST, you need to discuss the project with your neighbors.

DIY remote glazing

You can carry out external glazing of the balcony with your own hands or by invited specialists. In both cases, you need to know the installation technology, understand what is attached to what and where.

Preparatory work

At this stage, the room is cleared of all things, the condition of the enclosing structure and the base slab is assessed. They take measurements, choose glazing technology and materials. Defects in the concrete slab are eliminated and the old fence is dismantled.

Removing the old parapet

Particular attention is paid to foundation slabs in old housing stock. If deep cracks and other signs of severe structural damage are detected, engineers are invited. They provide an expert opinion on the condition of the balcony, recommendations for eliminating defects and the possibility of glazing using the chosen method.

Installation of new fencing

Taking into account the prepared project, the metal frame is assembled using a welding machine. The frame is rigidly fixed with anchor bolts and metal studs on the facade of the house. After assembly, all metal elements are coated with an anti-corrosion compound.

Note! For safety reasons, the main weight of the structure is distributed over the existing base. They try to remove only the insulation and a small part of the built-up fencing outside of it.

Assembling a new metal frame

With a significant expansion of the loggia along the floor, it is impossible to do without installing a roof. To do this, the metal frame is built up at the appropriate level and sheathed with the selected material. The roofing material should be light so that the load on the load-bearing elements does not increase. A corrugated sheet or ondulin will do.

Removal schemes

Insulation of an extended balcony

Insulation means a set of works on glazing the balcony and laying insulating material along the fence. Windows are installed using standard technology - along the parapet line, fixing the frames with anchor plates. To remove moisture, a visor and a drip system are provided.

The cracks formed during the installation of windows are filled with polyurethane foam. A waterproofing film is laid over the metal frame and secured with wooden lathing. Insulation is placed in the cells formed by the beams and covered with a vapor-permeable film. All layers are covered with finishing material, attaching it to the sheathing.

Interior and exterior finishing

New fencing requires both internal and external finishing. If the first can be done independently, then for the second it is better to invite industrial climbers with professional equipment for working at heights. Siding is usually used for exterior cladding.

External and internal finishing of the balcony

For interior work, materials that are resistant to moisture, UV rays and mechanical stress are used: lining, plastic panels, ceramic tiles. The specific choice depends on the style of the interior and the purpose of the room.

Acceptable standards for expanding a balcony

Increasing the total usable space and/or balcony area is a fairly pressing topic for residents of multi-storey buildings. After all, this is almost the most affordable and realistic opportunity to get additional square meters: without exchanges, buying new real estate, etc. True, not everyone knows what the law says about expanding the balcony . Is it possible to carry out removal on a window sill or floor without legal formalities in numerous higher authorities?

Related article: Extension of a balcony on the first floor, permission

Choosing a room expansion method

Currently, PVC plastic windows are very popular, especially among residents of large cities, as they reliably protect against noise, drafts and dust, are reliable, modern and beautiful.

If you are seriously thinking about such a construction experiment, then you have three options:

glazing (without auxiliary heating);
glazing with heating;
combination with the room.

The third solution is to remove the wall between the balcony and the room. Such construction work represents a redevelopment of the apartment premises; they must be approved in advance (after this, all changes in your living space will be reflected in the technical passport).

Option one: demolish everything

Let us note right away that achieving the “full studio” option, where the room is connected to the balcony without a partition-window sill in a legal way, is almost impossible. Firstly, such work is equivalent to the destruction of a load-bearing wall. Secondly, in many house designs, balconies and loggias are a settling zone, from where evacuation takes place in case of fire. Thirdly, it is also difficult to coordinate the transfer of heating radiators from under the window sill, and installing them on the balcony is strictly prohibited.

Do you want to imagine the amount of paperwork? This is what the approximate route to the “approval points” looks like:

- first, you should find out from the BTI the possibility of carrying out such repairs in principle (depending on the following factors: panel or brick house, height and floor, design features, even the presence of similar redevelopment among neighbors in the entrance). If the answer is positive, they must determine whether a project is needed, or whether a sketch can be used;
— the project can be ordered from public or private offices that have the appropriate license to develop design and estimate documentation;
- take the finished project to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, where they will confirm its fire safety;
— visit the SES for a stamp confirming compliance with sanitary standards;
— look into the architectural department to coordinate the appearance of the facade;
— obtain the consent of the housing office (DEZ);
- all received permits, including written consent from the people registered in the apartment for redevelopment, the project and the technical supervision agreement - take it to the “one window” of the Housing Commission and wait for the “verdict” within 45 days. But don’t expect to say goodbye to this organization quickly - after the reconstruction is completed, the commission will inspect the fresh renovation and issue a Reconstruction Act, with which you will again have to go to the BTI to confirm the legality of the redevelopment to obtain the long-awaited change in the housing registration certificate...

We turn the project into reality

They design the hard-earned “wealth” according to a pre-compiled design project. The most popular redevelopment variations are in the form of an open arched opening with or without support, or complete removal of partitions.

The floor can be raised like a podium. The frame (arch) and walls of the loggia are insulated; hydro- and vapor barriers are covered with plasterboard sheets; design the final finishing (tiles, panels, wallpaper, carpet, parquet, etc.). The radiators are moved to the nearest wall, and other heating devices are provided for the balcony (for example, an electric heated floor or an infrared ceiling heater).

As a result, you are the happy owner of additional living space. You can entrust the receipt of such permits to professionals - many construction companies guarantee the execution of such “approvals”, but it costs accordingly (calculated in each case individually, depending on the complexity of the project).

Option two: increase the opening

The most common (and affordable!) type of adding a loggia to a room is removing the window and door and glazing the loggia. Of course, the loggia room must be insulated, and the opening must be decorated artistically (with textured finishes, mosaics, stones). The wall under the window sill and the radiators remain in the same place. In this case, the window sill itself is either removed altogether or used as a table or bar counter.

It would seem that the work does not require any major reconstruction, but Themis is adamant: according to clause 2 of Art. 25 ch. 4 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, such actions also apply to redevelopment, which means that approval is also necessary in this case, however, achieving it is much easier than the previous option.

So, if your house was not delivered with ready-made loggia glazing, you need to take the following steps:
1) clarify the design and series of the house (in some buildings any changes are prohibited, for example, in series II-57);
2) in the BTI (usually, the project of such redevelopment is limited to a sketch), you need to agree on changes to be included in the technical passport of the residential premises. For old panel houses, a thermal engineering calculation may be required; in brick buildings and new buildings, such problems usually do not arise;
3) the architectural and planning department must approve the appearance of the glazed facade (shape of windows, bay windows, color of frames);
4) after glazing, insulation and reconstruction have been carried out - invite the same Housing Commission to approve the work.

We carry out landscaping work

The partial redevelopment project includes: - glazing (two- and three-chamber PVC windows); - insulation - ensure reliable thermal insulation around the perimeter of the entire loggia. According to SNiP 31-01-2003, the use of only non-combustible materials is permitted;

- conduct electricity; - cover with plasterboard sheets, concrete screed, and decorate with decorative materials.

When finishing the loggia, it is recommended to avoid unnecessary weighting (thick cement screed, large layer of plaster). The same rule applies to the furnishings - you should not place oak chests of drawers, bookcases, pianos and other massive pieces of furniture here - after all, the room was not originally intended for storing heavy items.

Extension: possible types

Removing a balcony or loggia is a specific type of arrangement in apartment buildings. It involves increasing the usable space or area of the corresponding spaces on the sides and/or front. Prices for expanding a turnkey balcony are quite affordable in comparison with the cost of one square meter of living space, which determines the popularity of such arrangement.

Main types of magnification:

removal of the floor - involves increasing the balcony slab by inserting channels into the wall. As a result, the balcony becomes larger in area - usually in length and width;
removal along the window sill - allows you to increase only the free space at the level of the balcony parapet. Subsequent glazing moves further, and users have additional space for storing things, arranging a home greenhouse, etc.;
mixed option - expanding the balcony along the floor and then along the window sill, which provides maximum usable space.

Frequently asked questions

Expanding a balcony is a very specific procedure, about which it is difficult to find sufficiently complete information. There are almost no typical situations here; each balcony has its own characteristics, was built at different times and was used in certain conditions. Therefore, the number of questions that arise is very large.

Some of them appear for almost every user, so you can answer them immediately:

Which expansion method is the cheapest and hassle-free?

Only glazing with extension (or expansion along the window sill) can be considered this method. This is the most gentle option, but even here you will need to examine the condition of the balcony slab.

If the balcony is on the ground floor, is it possible to make its own foundation for it?

Can. However, you will need to purchase or register ownership of the plot of land under the balcony. In addition, you will have to comply with current building codes and regulations that prohibit making a rigid connection between the foundation of the house and the extension. Here the best option would be to use screw piles.

What to do if the neighbors are against remodeling the balcony?

Objections from neighbors may result in denial of official permission. Therefore, we must try to somehow come to an agreement with our neighbors, understand their reasoning and find common ground. Otherwise, you will have to give up your idea or endure a war with your neighbors and be a defendant in court hearings.

Is it possible to create an expansion project yourself?

To perform such work requires special training and considerable professional experience. As a rule, responsible persons do not consider projects compiled by untrained people.

Is it possible to make a compromise - expand the area of the balcony slab, but abandon glazing to reduce the load?

This option is quite possible. However, you will have to immediately resolve the issue of draining rain moisture and take into account the snow load in winter. In addition, you need to decide for yourself whether such an expansion makes sense if the use of the balcony will still be seasonal.

Do I need permission to expand the balcony (Ukraine)?

Any form of changes in apartment buildings must be carried out exclusively on legal grounds. All repair actions that require a change in the configuration of housing require special approval from higher authorities. But expanding the slab (welding the extension) or window sill is an alteration within the framework of an existing balcony, so it is easier to formalize such a change.

Moreover, to increase the size to 30 cm in width and length, no legal formalities are required at all. Let’s say for a balcony whose area is 3 square meters, an allowable offset of 30 cm on all sides will increase it by almost 50%, that is, get an additional 1.5 m2.

IMPORTANT! Note that often expanding a balcony by large amounts is associated with various technical nuances: the condition of the slab may not allow “expanding” a significant area due to increasing loads, or the overall costs of implementing such a project will greatly increase.

Removal of more than 30 cm is considered redevelopment of housing. This means that for such an expansion of the balcony the law requires obtaining permission (executing documents for redevelopment). As practice shows, such changes are often carried out without approval. But if you want to do everything legally and avoid any problems in the future (including when selling real estate), then you need to agree on the planned changes.

Application for repairs, how to submit and sample

An application for the repair of emergency balconies can be a real challenge for inexperienced people. Here it is important to correctly indicate all the data and argue for the need to restore the balcony slab or ceiling.

If the emergency condition of the balcony was discovered by the new owners of the apartment after the purchase, there will be a greater chance of achieving scheduled repairs. If the application was brought by residents who have lived and owned this property for a long time, they may have to compensate part of the costs themselves, if the deplorable condition of the premises was not reported earlier.

The emergency condition of the balcony threatens not only homeowners, but also other people. Every year, several deaths associated with the collapse of a balcony slab are recorded. This can be avoided by carrying out preventive maintenance or complete restoration of the floor slabs.

Who should repair a collapsing balcony slab, as well as the procedure for interacting with representatives of the management company - all the necessary information is presented in our article.