What should be an open balcony and how to equip it?

An open balcony is a kind of luxury that any owner of an apartment in an apartment building or dorm room can afford. Previously, open balconies were available to everyone who lives in a high-rise, but most are converting them into closed spaces.

With a closed balcony, in contrast to an unglazed one, everything is easier: insulate, glaze (install metal-plastic windows) - and that's the end of it. There is no need to worry about a closed room, without going there for months, high-quality building materials will not miss precipitation, cold and solar ultraviolet light. In the case of an open balcony, everything is not as simple as it might seem. There are certain rules and requirements for arranging open balconies.

• Metal structures and wooden parts must be waterproofed with high quality. No rust or rot is allowed - otherwise the same parapet may collapse, and with it someone will accidentally suffer.

• The balcony space is protected from precipitation as best as possible. Even if it was not possible to avoid rain, snow and hail on the balcony floor, the reinforced concrete of the balcony floor should be insulated as best as possible from the negative effects of precipitation. The same applies to overdrying in the summer - after a certain number of years, concrete will gradually begin to lose strength.

• The drain (low tide) from the balcony should be unobstructed. If, nevertheless, an oblique downpour began, which was facilitated by a storm wind towards the balcony door and the window of the room adjacent to the balcony area, the water should drain out as quickly as possible. The same applies to melting snow. An appropriate coating that repels water and prevents the concrete floor and parapet from getting wet also contributes to the rapid drainage and thawing.

• All decor and interior elements must be securely fastened. If, for example, a television antenna falls on the head of a passer-by, then he may end up in a hospital with an injury or concussion. And if a part of a metal structure weighing a kilogram or more falls off - and falls from a height of at least the third floor - then it can break the head of the same passer-by, and he is guaranteed to die. Check carefully that each screwed / welded piece is securely in place.

Before additional (or new) arrangement of an open balcony, familiarize yourself with the project. It is recommended to contact the BTI and the architect if you have recently moved into a new building or an older house (for example, in "Khrushchev"), and it is time to improve the balcony space as well. Load limit data can be obtained with the assistance of a project engineer who can advise you on more specific load requirements.

The most correct solution is to draw up a renovation project, finishing, taking into account the planned load.

The best moisture resistance will be provided by a rubber or plastic cover. The first is installed most often on the floor, the second - on the walls. For wall decoration, you may need a sealant and siding, soffits or another type of coating used for installation on the main load-bearing walls of houses from the outside.

To see how the siding or soffit coating would look - and how it would perform its protective functions, let us turn for experience to the designers who are changing the appearance of Khrushchev's houses.

• A typical "stalinka", "Khrushchev" or "Brezhnevka" is subjected to the installation of a frame-profile structure.

• The wall is covered from the outside with a layer of hydro and vapor barrier.

• Insulation is placed on the waterproofing. Mineral wool (basalt) is considered the most fire safe: basalt does not support chemical combustion, after the material burns out on it, it immediately goes out.

• A second layer of the same hydro-vapor barrier is placed on the insulation layer.

• A ventilated gap is left between the outer layer of the waterproofer and the attached layer (siding, soffits).

• After installing the insulation (they need to sheathe not the apartment from the inside, but the load-bearing wall of the house from the side of the balcony), the siding will last 10-20 years. Soffits (aluminum, painted) can last for 50 years with timely renewal of the paint layer (aluminum is afraid of acidified moisture, which is precipitation in the city).

An alternative to siding is the so-called wet facade (waterproofing and plaster with a reinforcing mesh), as well as tiles, tiles, planted on a cement-sandy layer of plaster (without mesh). As a liquid (drying) waterproofing, special compounds are used that do not allow moisture from the plaster to penetrate into the reinforced concrete from which the reinforced concrete products used in the construction of this house are made.

Instead of tiles, glass stained-glass windows, stone-decorative mosaics are used (from which, in Soviet times, the base was laid out under the panels on the walls of high-rise buildings) and small tiles (squares with a side of 1-2 cm), also planted on cement plaster.

If, in the case of a closed balcony, a sofa (or bed), soft armchairs or chairs, souvenir decor are allowed, then you cannot keep upholstered furniture on an open balcony. From rain, snow and ultraviolet radiation, it will deteriorate in a few months or a year. For connoisseurs of summer sleep in the fresh air, using a balcony on the 9th, 17th or 25th floor, only an old (industrial) or homemade bed or a folding bed, not a sofa, will do.

The cabinet for an open balcony is equipped mainly entirely of metal structures.

The use of LED lamps, which replaced incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps "sticks" and "spirals", solved the problem of moisture protection. Modern products of the IP-65 waterproof class, designed for accidental splashes (but not immersion in water), effectively cope with their task - lighting even in heavy rain or snow.

If this requirement is violated, then damp walls, floor and parapet can become electrically conductive. For better illumination, the luminaire is made with a mirror (reflecting light) visor, which does not allow it to go beyond the balcony.

The visor, despite the resistance of the balcony to constant rains, will protect furniture, appliances and electronics, some dear things and decor from damage. It is no less significant when the owner spends quite a lot of time on the balcony or is constantly busy with types of work that create dust and debris from the sawn and washed off material residues.

The best material in terms of beauty is polycarbonate. Unlike metal tiles and slate, it transmits sunlight, which makes it possible to improve the space. The diffused light can be given any color. Its only drawback is destruction after 10 or more years from solar ultraviolet radiation. Despite the claims of some manufacturers about the presence of an ultraviolet-resistant coating, this layer is too thin - over time, even the most conscientious manufacturer saves on everything he can, to the detriment of the level of quality.

As for the standard partitions and parapet, after several decades they will become unusable, dramatically reducing the level of strength and reliability. Some apartment owners replace the standard railings with new ones on their own - the easiest way to do this is a welded structure on fittings and corners. The proliferation of welding inverters that allow you to connect even to the apartment network (the unit diagram gives a smooth load on the electrical wiring due to the accumulation of welding charge), made household electric welding work a mass phenomenon: you no longer need to connect to the post bypassing the meter.

Welding the railings, changing the battery, independently reinforcing the supporting structure on the front door is no longer a problem. Replacing or strengthening the railings is limited only by the owner's budget.

It is recommended to make a border in the lower part next to the floor - it will prevent small things and objects from falling, and also protect small children from falling or getting stuck in the parapet.

The most successful option is living vegetation. It can be both indoor flowers - from October to April the plants are in the room, and perennial shrubs planted in a bucket or tub.

The decorative paraphernalia is represented by moisture-resistant furniture, decorated in an exquisite style. True, the same sofa or easy chair can only be used in dry weather: when it is raining, it is brought into the room. The disadvantage is the laboriousness of carrying this piece of furniture through the balcony door due to its illegibility and non-standard design. Some antiques, such as a wrought iron chest covered with several layers of waterproof decorative lacquer, are not afraid of a little damp.

The main requirement is to preserve the uniformity of the design style. The balcony becomes an addition to the room that overlooks it, and the entire apartment as a whole.

On the balcony, you can even break a garden bed for growing greenery - put the soil in boxes. If the user is an amateur in terms of creating and maintaining a beautiful and practical oasis around him, then the balcony opens up a lot of possibilities for him.

If you are a person more technical than humanitarian, then the style of "high technology" combined with minimalism is your choice. Severity and purity of lines, discreet colors - your style.

The classic design is an element of preserving solemnity and luxury, going side by side with tranquility and refinement. This style does not tolerate asymmetry - for example, the same furniture and lamps must be arranged in an orderly manner. Any crowding in a particular place can be regarded by guests and hosts as negligence and bad taste.

Country-style ideas give the decor a “country”, “country” atmosphere. It is important here to decorate the interior, observing the naturalness of the materials. There should be as little plastic and composite as possible. In a certain sense, country music intersects with the boho style - an abundance of woolen carpets and other products, a kind of "terry" and "fluffiness", at all times appreciated by urban and rural residents.

The "hike" design provides for folding furniture: a drop-down, wall-mounted table and lounger (or chaise longue), folding armchairs and chairs. Evaluated by people who love the abundance of free space, as well as by users whose balcony does not differ in a spacious (from a few square meters) area.

The fact is that the departure of the supporting slab of the balcony is more than a meter and a half, according to SNiP and GOST, it is unacceptable for high-rise buildings. If the house was built a long time ago, when not all the standards were fully complied with, and you live on the second floor, it is permissible to build additional pillars supporting the balcony, dug (concreted) into the ground, settling this issue with representatives of the governing authorities (BTI, ZhEK and others) ...