Choosing the right balcony door

A balcony door separates the living space from a non-residential one - a balcony or loggia. On such an extension, the housewives store their homework or seasonal items - skis, bicycles and rollers. Sometimes old household appliances are kept on the balcony or all at once.

It can be a separate (single) or part of a window block - a plastic or wooden structure with a movable sash and window. If the balcony has a window, you will have to order a whole block.: plastic or wood door and window.

A single balcony door not only divides the space, but also serves as a source of natural light if there is no window in the room.

Balcony doors are divided according to the type of opening on:

• Swing, or turning.
• Swing-out.
• Shtulpovye.
• Sliding.
• Doors-accordion.

Swing model opens as an ordinary interroom - Swings open to or from itself. This is the most common option, not only in its design, but also in cost - it is the most affordable.

Tilt-and-turn door resembles a hinged door. - opens on the same principle. You can also “fold it away” - fix it in the lower point to ventilate the room.

Shtulpovaya door - PVC-design with two swing doors. If the width of the doorway is 900 mm and more, then you should think about it. The shtulpovy door is always two shutters, at the same time one of them surely mobile. The second can be any: mobile or motionless (deaf). The width of the valves may vary or be the same.

For example, the width of the balcony opening 1200 mm. Installing one door into it is unrealistic, so you will have to choose a master structure.The width of the valves can be the same - 600 mm each. Another option is to choose different sash widths: 700x500 mm, 800x400 mm or 900x300 mm. Narrow sash is usually made fixed and enjoyed wide.

French doors are fully glazed wooden frames.. Small kitchen they visually expand due to the large amount of sunlight. Without that, a large kitchen or another room is lit and filled with life, creating home comfort and diluted with an original approach to the design of the opening.

Sliding open type coupe - move apart into a prepared niche or along the walls. When they are installed, radiators often have to be removed altogether or moved to a new place. And this is perhaps the only drawback of sliding balcony models.

Glass sliding doors let the sun's rays through well and act as an additional source of light. They leave a wider passage than the classical swing, because they are moving apart as widely as possible. Sliding doors are famous for their safety: they can not accidentally hit someone when opening.

The door-accordion saves room space due to the opening system - it folds up. The "accordions" worse keep heat and isolate noise, therefore, they are used infrequently as a balcony structure.

For the manufacture of balcony doors most often use PVC, wood and aluminum:

• Plastic balcony door - the most popular. PVC construction perfectly protects from cold weather and retains the warmth of home. It isolates street noise and will especially appeal to residents of large cities, whose houses or apartments are located along busy streets or on the first floors.

• PVC door different ease and versatility.But do not forget that plastic doors are not made of pure plastic - such a design would be unreliable. It is based on a metal, often aluminum frame. Plastic sandwich panels are created (the outer shell of the door).

• Balcony canvas made of wood - good old classics, but it was noticeably pressed by plastic models, The advantages of wooden models lies in their environmental friendliness and natural origin. They “breathe” - they let the air through and do not allow the room to “suffocate”.

• Less common aluminum construction, light in weight and stylish in appearance. Such doors are installed in rooms with high ceilings or wide openings. Aluminum models are often found in shopping centers, offices, at least - in typical apartments. They are not practical from the point of view that they poorly isolate noise and retain heat.Therefore, for spacious residential buildings and apartments located along a busy highway, are not suitable.

GOST is a state standard that defines the requirements for the quality of goods, services or works, a certain standard. Door and window openings of any apartment or house must comply with GOST or have certain parameters: height and width.

Standard sizes for a balcony door are defined as:

• Width: 600 to 900 mm.
• Height: from 1900 mm to 2200 mm.

There is no exact dimensional standard for the door, whether it is a balcony, interior or entrance. The height and width of the doorway may vary in houses and apartments - in a private house, they are usually wider than in an apartment. In new homes, the balcony door may also be wider according to the project. Even the type of building affects the size of the opening: in the "Stalin" they are wider and higher than in the "Khrushchev".

The width and future size of the canvas affects the material from which the house is built. Thick brick walls, for example, will be able to withstand a greater weight of the door than thin concrete or panel.Non-standard models also have the right to exist, including in the case when the landlord decides to increase the width of the opening. In this case, the canvas or window unit is created by individual sizes.

The following sizes are called non-standard:

• Height: 1600, 1700, 1800, 1850 mm and any other up to 1900 mm and more than 2200 mm.
• Width: 400, 500, 950, 1000 mm or any other up to 600 and more than 900 mm.

The choice of a balcony door is influenced by the layout of the apartment or house and the functionality it should have. And:

If there are small children or animals in the house, access to the balcony should be as comfortable as possible for them or, on the contrary, be able to restrict their access to the loggia. Free access to the balcony is the absence of a high or steep threshold from which children can fall.

Restrict access to the balcony can handle with a key, a mosquito net on the door or a special lock.The safe balcony door is shockproof, even if it is completely transparent and consists of a profile and a double-glazed window. It is wrong to think that for a family a fully glass door will not work because of its danger and impracticality. If the glass unit has 2 or 3 cameras and is made of tempered glass, its manufacturer has a good reputation, such doors to the floor can be safe. Anti-burglar accessories will be useful for the balcony door of a residential building or a loggia on the 1st or 2nd floor.

This concept is even wider than security. Today, the standard plastic door works in two modes - opening and ventilation. To choose a standard door to the balcony without the possibility of reclining and airing the room is simply unwise.

If the door is too high or wide, it is nonstandard or simple, then there may not be a folding system in it. A blocker comes to the rescue - a plastic nozzle on the box with “steps”.

The main material is plastic (PVC) or wood.There are doors with an aluminum body - metal, but in houses and apartments they are rarely installed. It is expensive and impractical compared to the first two types.

PVC construction is the most popular on the market.. Thermal insulation of even the cheapest plastic doors will be better than that of wooden ones in the middle segment, thanks to the tightness of each glass unit and reliable sealing system. Plastic models well isolate noise from the street. They are durable: the standard plastic model will not lose its attractiveness even after 45 years - numerous tests prove.

The taste preferences of each family are different: someone chooses a transparent door to the floor, others prefer a model with a sandwich panel. Some people like natural texture and shades like wood, others - classic: white, gray and not against plastic.

There is no exact opinion as to which doors are better - glass or divided by a plastic panel. Each of them is good and different in cost: glass doors to the floor more expensive. Sliding models look stylish, their price is 2 or more times higher than usual hinged doors for a balcony.

It is not always possible to put a sliding door to the balcony - only if there is a free wall on which the door will be placed in the open position. If there is a threshold in the kitchen or room with a balcony, then this feature should also be taken into account when ordering linen. Before installing the sliding door threshold will have to be removed.

The plastic balcony door consists of separate parts: the frame, the sandwich panel, the double-glazed window, the box, the fittings. Together, they determine how much the door will cost and how good performance properties it will have. The PVC door frame is an aluminum or plastic profile, the base of each leaf.

If we talk about wooden models, then in them the frame is created from wooden bars and is filled with other wood material - MDF panels, insulation.

The sandwich panel is a plastic balcony door panel, usually located at the bottom. It consists of two layers of plastic, between which there is insulation. Sandwich panels do not differ in design. Their quality and ability to retain heat better and worse and isolate noise is influenced by the material itself - plastic.The thickness of the plastic for the "sandwich" can be from 8 to 32 mm: the panel up to 24 mm is used in the doors of the economy class, 28-32 mm in the middle and premium segment.

The advantages of a sandwich panel lie in the fact that it:

• "Hides" the mess on the balcony or hides an unsightly view of this room.
• Better retains heat in the room due to insulation.
• Insulates street noise better due to the same insulation.
• Safer than a full-pane window, if there are children in the house.
• Makes the door easier and does not burden the opening, especially if it is weak.
• Cheaper balcony door - 1 square. m panel is 3-4 times cheaper than glass.

The double-glazed window in the balcony door serves as an additional or sole source of light for the room.

It can be single-chamber or two-chamber:

• Single chamber A glass unit consists of 2 glass sheets that form free space between them - a chamber.
• Two-chamber The package has 3 sheets of glass and 2 cameras - 2 free spaces between them.
• Three-chamber The double-glazed window has 4 sheets of glass and is considered the most expensive of such structures.

Which glass is better - there is no definite answer to this question.The third glass in the balcony door better isolates the noise and retains heat: about 10% increases the insulation of the fabric and up to 50% heat insulation. Triple glazing protects better from UV radiation. However, sunlight passes worse: it becomes less by about 10%. Additional glass increases the final weight of the door and increases its value by 30% or more.

Accessories: hinges, handle, lock, lock, ventilation grille and other elements. Quality loops are able to withstand a greater weight of the canvas, and this quality is determined by the ability to withstand weight up to 100 kg, 120 kg and more.

The handle is usually located inside the room, but you can also install it from the side of the balcony - such a handle is called a “smoker's handle”. It is advisable to install the lock in the case of the “smoker's handle” so that no outsider can open the door from the outside.

The locking mechanism at the plastic door can be:

• Turning - provides its swing opening.
• Tilt and turn - allows you to fold the canvas in the mode of ventilation. This type of mechanism is placed on the door with a sandwich panel. Heavy non-standard doors open for ventilation with a blocker.
• Sliding - is less common previous. Its essence is to push the door from the opening to the side. To do this, one or two walls must be free to move the canvas.

If the wooden door with time began to "blow through", this problem can and should be solved. It is possible to warm:

• Joints
• Slopes.
• The canvas itself.

Materials that may be required:

• Insulation: foam rubber insulated door leaf, polystyrene foam or mineral wool - slopes, any of them or sealant can be finished slopes.
• Putty and spatulas.
• Door upholstery - genuine or artificial leather, wood panels.
• Building mixtures.
• Tools: level, tape measure, screwdriver.

To warm the door for the winter means to find the cause of the penetration of cold air and eliminate it. To warm the canvas, you need:

• Remove it from the hinges and lay on a flat surface.
• Remove old paint and level its surface.
• Seal cracks with putty.
• Impose insulation on the canvas and nail it with a wide hat.
• Put the upholstery on top and fix it with nails.

To close the gaps between the door and the box, you need to make 3 strips of foam rubber and leather using the same technology - 2 along the width of the canvas and 1 along its length. Harvested rollers need to nail to the door. For the insulation of the glass with a glass unit, you need a putty for windows: she needs to process the gaps at the joints of the window and the canvas

To insulate the plastic exit to the balcony, use a tubular material based on silicone rubber. The essence of this Swedish technology is to glue the tubular profile in the pre-cut grooves on the door. Warming of a double-glazed window is reduced to sticking on it a special film - a material based on polyester. Such a film passes light well and does not let the cold through.

To insulate the balcony door, you can use silicone sealant. The composition is poured into a special gun and applied to the door joints. If there is glass in the canvas, you must first remove it and apply the composition on the panels, then “plant” the glass unit in place.

You can change the old balcony door with a new one:

• Remove it with the box.
• Clean the opening from the remnants of the canvas, dirt and dust. You can use cleaning products and detergents - the opening should "shine".
• Install a new box in place of the previous one - the opening should be dry.
• Gaps and slots close up with polymer foam or any insulation.
• Install the door - “land” it on the hinges and adjust the door. The canvas should fit snugly to the box, easy to open and close.

Replacing the glass is as follows:

1. Dismantle the damaged glass unit: separate the glazing beads along the long and short side of the frame with a plastic spatula and a mallet.
2. Take out the broken glass unit from the frame: use special rubber suction cups or a rolled up newspaper to hold sharp edges with it.

The glass may burst or simply fall apart during its dismantling, so they work with gloves and thick working clothes, which will not be a pity:

1. Clean and flush frame with debris and dirt.
2. Put plastic pads in the frame - bridges.
3. Install a new glass unit: first place the lower part of it, then the upper edge.

How to install a balcony door, see the next video.

The shape of the balcony door can be different: from the usual rectangular to oval and semi-circular. This design is called the arched block. This is a great idea to design a narrow opening with windows on two sides.

If a rectangular plastic door with a sandwich panel at the bottom is a classic solution, then the all-glass construction looks fresh. In addition to the stylish exterior design, it also allows sunlight to pass through and promises a panoramic view from the window.

The color in the design of the balcony door plays an important role: white is the most familiar shade. Brown and gray - a stylish solution for a modern interior.which create a particularly warm atmosphere. The stained glass door to the balcony is a product with a pattern on the glass pane in the floor.

French doors to the balcony got their name due to the hot climate of Provence. They are completely glass and have two swing doors. No matter what is used for their production - wood or plastic, double French balcony models captivate with ease and with the fact that they visually make the room more spacious.

Modern plastic doors look stylish in any apartment with an interior from loft to modern, in the Scandinavian and high-tech direction. In a panel house, it is better to prefer PVC products - they are light in weight and visual design, do not overload the interior and are suitable for any style.

Arched doors to the loggia look original in a spacious apartment or house. Sliding designs are distinguished by the fact that their planning will require 1 or 2 walls for free opening of the canvases.

The price of a plastic door depends on the profile, and all Russian manufacturers choose one or several European profiles as the basis:

• Rehau;
• KBE;
• Veka;
• Novotex;
• Salamander;
• Schuko;
• Kommerling.

The first three - German manufacturers who have proven themselves better than others. Other European manufacturers, which sometimes are cheaper than world-famous “giants”, are also credible. Known manufacturer of wooden doors for the balcony - Veko Pro.

There are hundreds of other companies, for example, BMS Windows from St. Petersburg or Windows Peresvet from Moscow. Wooden doors for a balcony are usually made to order.