Balcony glazing in Khrushchev

Every apartment owner in " Khrushchevka " sooner or later thinks about glazing the balcony. This is not only a great way to insulate the with housing, but it's also a real possibility to make it a bit larger and even more. And let the speech go only about a few dozen square centimeters , but the benefit of such repairs will be very tangible. The balcony glazing in the Khrushchev's is a chance to increase living space with minimal investment. We will tell you about the difficulties that lie in this matter in this article.

Design features of the Khrushchev's balconies

In the second half of the last century, there was a significant shortage of housing for the population of the USSR, so the Soviet architects developed a plan for the construction of small

and, like the then the seemed , comfortable apartments. Construction took a minimum of time, then did not think about the design of at all, and the main goal was to provide people with at least some with housing. The fruits of Soviet architecture have to be reaped and to this day - miniature "Khrushchev" flats in comparison with modern apartments look like ugly ducklings against the background of beautiful swans. It is absolutely that naturally, that the tenants " Khrushchev " are striving to improve their position in all available ways. In the course are different methods - demolition of interior walls, installation of partitions and glazing of balconies with removal and a separate roof.

The latter option is the easiest and least expensive way to make your apartment cozier and more spacious. Dimensions of the balconies in the Khrushchev's are, to put it mildly, depressing, and the quality of the reinforced concrete slab at the base leaves much to be desired. More than half a century after the construction, many balconies are, if not in an emergency condition, then close to it. This is the main difficulty in re-equipment and modernization. The second hitch is a very modest area, where there is nowhere to turn around. In fact, Khrushchev's balcony is a slab with metal poles around the perimeter, and this design was not originally designed for heavy loads.

There are panel and brick " Khrushchev ", however balconies in them are almost identical. In most cases, they are fenced with metal rods, and if the very lucky - concrete parapets. The width of the balcony along the facade is 2, 6 m , the width of the sides is 0, is 8 m , and the height of the barrier is 1, is 45 m .Already only from these data it is clear that is not about any speech comfort of .Moreover, a low parapet in combination with a small amount of free space creates potentially risky situations.

Before glazing the balcony in the Khrushchev's , it needs to be strengthened as far as in general is possible. This means installing a new frame around the perimeter of the former. But in some cases the frame does not do it. If the concrete slab of the base began to collapse, from the sticks out the armature or there are cracks, to start the work is necessary exactly with it .The glazing is the not just the double glazing, but the whole system with frames, fittings and components, which in general has quite impressive weight. To strengthen the plate most often install steel corners and a special reinforcement mesh under the bottom of the surface. The disadvantage of this method is that over time, the corners start to corrode , if they are not treated with protective compounds annually. In addition, the aesthetics of such a design suffers noticeably.

What affects the wear of the slab, and how to avoid it:

1. No barriers along the perimeter, protecting the slab from penetration of rain and meltwater, weathering and mechanical damage."Native " fences were plywood or other wood boards, attached to metal grating .Naturally, over a long service life, such materials have been rotten for a long time and do not provide adequate protection. Slanting rain with gusts of wind and completely freely penetrate into the balcony, forming puddles.
2. No or worn with with gutters. As a rule, they are located at the bottom of the plate. Examine your balcony for availability - if there are no gutters, the probability that the stove is damaged increases dramatically.
3. Architectural feature of all balcony boards Khrushchev - they were mounted with a slight bias towards the house, so the water that hit the plate stagnated, penetrated inside the concrete and destroyed the reinforcement inside.

As you can see, we did not have time to start the glazing, and the already started with .But if everything is in order with the stove of your balcony, or it needs a slight strengthening, you can proceed with choosing the type of glazing. By the way, it is better to reinforce even a sturdy slab for securing - yet the house has stood for several decades.

Warm or cold glazing?

There are two types of glazing balconies: cold and warm .The main criterion of difference is the profile material and the method of installation. So, for the cold glazing, aluminum profesional or is chosen at all without them( frameless glazing).For warm frames are made of metal and wood, but in the case of installing a double-glazed window, the use of aluminum profiles is acceptable.

Cold glazing

The option of glazing of balconies in the " Khrushchevka " depends on the purpose for which you plan to use this room. So, if you need a balcony for storage of blanks, tools or drying clothes, then you will approach cold type. In this case, single-chamber double-glazed units are installed, which do not allow penetration into the wind and rain, however does not protect against cold. The temperature difference inside the balcony and outside will be only 3 - 5C.

The advantage of cold balcony glazing with an aluminum profile in the Khrushchev's is that aluminum weighs very little, so a concrete slab can withstand the load of the entire structure. Also, this material is very pliable, which allows the implementation of windows of various shapes and sizes. It is not subject to corrosion, and if desired, aluminum frames can be painted. However, the cost of aluminum glazing is quite high, so many prefer to choose a frameless option.

Frameless balcony glazing in the Khrushchev's looks quite original and instantly transforms the facade and interior of the house. Its peculiarity is that the double-glazed windows are fastened on the control profiles located at the top and bottom of the window .Between them is a barely noticeable layer of sealant, which allows you to get a broad view and more sunlight. Glazing without frames visually expands and "unloads" a small balcony space.

You can glaze the balcony in a cold way with wooden frames, but in the case of Khrushchevs , few people choose this option. The fact is that the tree is much heavier than aluminum, and although the work is cheaper, but the service life of the wooden profiles is shorter. However, wooden glazing gives better protection against cold, even in the case of installing single-chamber double-glazed units. If you decide on this option, be ready to treat the wood annually with antiseptic compounds and cover with moisture repellent varnish or paint.

Warm Glazing

If you want to increase the living area of ​​an apartment or use a balcony for cozy gatherings over a cup of tea, while outside there is a blizzard or a thunderstorm, you need the warm glazing .For this type of window profiles are made of wood and metal-plastic, but aluminum frames can be used. The largest is popular with PVC profiles, as they are quite inexpensive, durable and easy to use. Double-glazed windows for warm glazing insert double or triple. At once we will make a reservation that for a central strip of Russia of a two-chamber double-glazed window more than it is enough, and here for inhabitants of Siberia there is a sense to put three-chamber .

Wooden profiles perfectly preserve heat and are highly aesthetic, however the price of such pleasure is appropriate. The disadvantage of the tree is its natural characteristics - over time it shrivels, resulting in the windows begin to close loosely, the gap penetrates the moisture, and the material dampens.

With metalloplastikovymi profiles such troubles are excluded in principle. For their production use a special high-strength and resistant to external influences plastic. It is not afraid of temperature fluctuations and can be used in any climatic conditions. A wide range of frames of all kinds of shapes and designs allows you to choose the variant nt for I have any interior.

The lack of both wooden and metal-plastic profiles in the case of the Khrushchev's in their big weight. Not every slab can withstand such a load, so before making an order with in the relevant company, conduct a thorough assessment of the plate's condition, and still better hire specialists for this.

Warm glazing with aluminum frames is perhaps the best option for a small Khrushchev's balcony. Even if you install double-glazed windows, a small weight of aluminum profiles will save the position. Such designs can consist of several sliding or folding flaps, which will save even more space.

Important point: In order to protect aluminum profiles not only from wind and rain, but also from cold, special products with insulating inserts must be ordered. The weight of the design will increase slightly, but not critical, but the thermal insulation performance will increase several times.

Glazing with removal

The glazing of the balcony in the Khrushchevka with removal is the most popular and successful measure of increasing the useful space of the apartment. Of course, you get only a few dozen extra square centimeters, but they are completely yours, and you can use them any way you want. At the same time, the cost of the equipment of this very "removal" is not much higher than conventional glazing with insulation.

Video about balconies in the " Khrushchev's ":

What is glazing with removal? On the concrete slab a metal frame with a slight slope to the outside is built around the perimeter, resulting in floor area remaining the same, but window sill is doubled and is about 40 cm. It can make a small table, arrange flowers or tools. The glazing method with the "Butterfly" removal allows to use and maximum lateral space. A good example can be seen in the image below:

As you know, has a stronger load on the slab than installation of conventional profiles.

If the balcony is on the last floor of the

If you live on the top floor of the Khrushchev's , you are disappointed - the balcony glazing in your case will cost more expensive than for the residents of the lower floors. This again is explained by the economy( or stupidity) of Soviet architects - the balcony does not have its own roof as such.

The first thing to do is to mount a metal frame to install the visor. Visor usually make of polycarbonate, as this is the most suitable material for such situations. It lightweight , not produces much noise during rain and hail, protects against cold( cellular polycarbonate) and is inexpensive. The roof of the balcony is attached directly to the wall of the house by means of anchor bolts and reinforced with corners, resting on the skeleton of the balcony.

You can also choose metal corrugated sheet to make a visor, but then during a thunderstorm you will regret every time that you did not choose a more "quiet" material. The solution to this situation is the insulation of the roof with foam or expanded polystyrene. They both protect from the cold and suppress noise.

The roof design can have or not have the of the skeleton. In the first case, a supporting frame is installed by a welded method and attached to the wall by anchors. It is recommended to install it if the roof opening is rather wide and is more than 1, 5 m .The disadvantage of this method is its high cost.

Glazing of balconies in the Khrushchevka with a roof without a frame is cheaper and does not require the use of a welding machine. Installation takes a minimum of time and effort, however the strength of such a design will be low. If there are icicles on the roof of the house, there is a high probability that they can damage such a visor.

It is possible to glaze the balcony in the " Khrushchevka ", however this work requires thorough preparation and more than careful measurements. It is impossible to do this to an ignorant person because of the elementary lack of necessary knowledge. Do not save on this important point, if you do not want your renovated balcony collapsed down with all the glazing. Choose the material profiles and chamberedness insulating glass units in accordance with the rigidity plate and the climatic conditions of your region.

Balcony glazing in the Khrushchev's : photo