Almost every apartment owner wants to maximize the use of the total available housing area, including auxiliary areas of loggias, balconies and verandas. The most effective way to maximize the expansion of the home is to glaze the loggia or other non-residential area.
Prospects
You can successfully turn the room from previously suitable only for storing trash, drying clothes, a place for smoking or a refrigerator in the winter to a cozy addition to a room, kitchen or bedroom or a place to relax or work.
Also, a glazed loggia improves the overall improvement of the entire apartment, as it significantly reduces heat loss, increases protection from dust and city noise.
Redevelopment Efficiency
Is it possible to glaze a loggia? This is one of the varieties of the balcony. Its main difference from the balcony is the location between the three walls. For this reason, only one front side needs to be glazed in the loggia. It is simpler and less expensive compared to glazing a balcony.
When conducting glazing work, it is necessary to study the photos of the glazed loggias and follow a certain order.
The first thing to do is to choose the material from which the supporting structures of the window will consist. The most common windows are:
- wooden;
- metal-plastic;
- aluminum.
Consider the properties and features of windows, their advantages and disadvantages.
Wooden windows
The main advantages of glazing a loggia with wooden windows are:
- Environmental friendliness. Wood is a natural building material. It does not harm a person. Advanced wood processing methods maximize the preservation of natural properties, one of which is the absorption of carbon dioxide.
- Thermal insulation. The produced high-quality window construction has low thermal conductivity, which will allow you to maintain a cozy atmosphere of the apartment every day of any season.
- Soundproofing. Holds the entire range of sound frequencies, absorbing street noise.
- Aesthetics. Many tree species used to profile the window. An abundance of the color palette of the finished product, appearance is provided.
The main disadvantages in the use of wooden windows include the following:
- High cost. Compared to other products, wooden windows have a high price. This is due to the high cost of natural wood, an expensive procedure for its processing.
- Aging. Over time, the wood loses its strength and becomes permeable, undergoes geometric changes and is susceptible to damage by the fungus. To prevent this situation, constant care is required (painting, processing with protective equipment).
- Low maintainability. If the wooden canvas is damaged or the glass unit is replaced, it becomes necessary to dismantle the frame from the window opening, which creates additional difficulties and inconveniences.
Metal-plastic windows
The main advantages of glazing the loggia with plastic windows include:
- Thermal insulation. Due to the high density of the narthex of the window and the tightness of the double-glazed window, it provides excellent protection against cold, draft and street noise.
- Universality. The loggia, glazed with plastic windows, fits perfectly into the interior of the ultra-modern or classic style of the whole house.
- Ease of use. Simplicity and accessibility of controlling window fittings, the ability to regulate winter-summer modes.
- Durability. Glazing the loggia with plastic, you can solve the issue of repairing this room for decades, since the average life of the unit, which does not require additional maintenance, is about 40 years.
The main disadvantages include:
- Limitations There are critical sizes of plastic windows: on opening structures with a width of 1200 mm and a height of 1800 mm, the fittings become absolutely useless; the minimum diameter of the arched window is only 500 mm; it is impossible to make an angle of less than 30 degrees in a triangular window.
- Tightness. Glazing the loggia with plastic, which has a tight window seal, creates a greenhouse effect, reliable ventilation is necessary to eliminate this drawback.
- Linear stretching. They have a high coefficient of thermal expansion. At high temperature, the window expands, and at low it shrinks.
- Maintainability. Scratches on plastic and other defects cannot be repaired.
Aluminum windows
Aluminum profiles are available in two types:
- Warm - a heat insulator is mounted in the aluminum profile, which prevents the exchange of air between the external and internal circuits, which ensures excellent thermal insulation.
- Cold - an integral aluminum profile in which any insert is missing. This window does not have heat-insulating properties, but glazing the loggia with an aluminum profile will protect the room from dust and noise. It is also much cheaper compared to a warm profile.
The benefits of using aluminum windows include:
- Strength - there is the possibility of manufacturing window openings of almost any size and configuration.
- Environmentally friendly - with the thermal effects of the sun, aluminum does not emit any odors.
- Design - the possibility of manufacturing all-glass windows with almost invisible lintels.
- Variety - a wide selection of RAL colors. It is also possible to paint in different colors separately on the inside and outside of the frame.
The main disadvantages include:
- High cost - a window made of a warm aluminum profile in comparison with the other types of products mentioned above is the most expensive.
- Maintainability - it is difficult and time-consuming to carry out restoration work to eliminate mechanical defects on the profile, including scratches.
Order window products
Having decided on the material for the glazing of the loggia, it is necessary to choose the company of the manufacturer of window openings, since it is extremely difficult and economically impractical to make a window at home.
The easiest way to find a company is to follow the advice of people who have previously successfully glazed the loggia with windows, otherwise you will have to independently study all the information regarding the numerous companies that provide these services.
Never stop your choice at the first sales office you find, you need to get acquainted with at least three companies and compare the offers they provide for similar products. This information will help you tentatively find out the amount needed to complete the order.
What to look for
You will need to pay attention to the available information about the company. A serious organization invests money in advertising about its range and services, and also indicates the exact address of the office with the provision of a landline phone and mobile, as an additional one.
It is necessary to get reviews and opinions about the company.
To determine the reliability of the company will help the information received by phone from their operator:
- about the place of production of windows;
- personal visits to production facilities;
- whether the product warranty is provided, and for how long.
The managers of a reliable company will provide clear, qualified information on these issues. Young decent companies that have just begun to develop, in most cases offer more profitable options with the presentation of the highest level of service. These companies need to increase their customer base, from which the consumer only benefits financially. Friends who previously used its services will help you choose this organization.
Window mounting
You can glaze a balcony or a loggia yourself with your own hands, which is a really feasible task that does not require much time.
It is necessary to follow this sequence of installation of a plastic window:
- The preparatory work is to clean the window opening from dust and dirt. It is necessary to re-measure the window and window opening, making sure that there is no error in the manufacture of the structure. Important: the height of the window opening is measured in at least three places. The smallest one is selected.
- We establish a peak, we fix it to a ceiling plate by means of expansion bolt shields.
- If two or more window blocks are used, it is necessary to apply sealant to the joints and connect them using a rail.
- We attach anchor plates to the window block using self-tapping screws. At a minimum, we install three fastener points on the side surfaces and two plates on the top. The lower part of the frame is recommended to be fixed with anchors.
- We expose the window frame of the loggia with the help of a level, after raising it to the height of the window sill and laying it on the lining. Fasten with dowels.
- After we install the window sill, having mounted it in the groove we left in the lower part of the frame. We fix the window sill using self-tapping screws.
- The remaining slots are blown with foam.
- The end of the installation consists in attaching to the lower outer part of the drain window with mandatory blowing foam.
- Only after this can you start to put on the window sashes and glaze the loggia with a double-glazed window in the blind window openings.
Important notes
I would like to draw attention to the fact that when performing work on installing metal-plastic or aluminum windows in the cool season, it is necessary to take into account their ability to stretch / compress. In order to prevent subsequent deformation of the window opening or leakage in the joints, it is recommended to refuse installation at a temperature of less than 5 degrees.
Loggia insulation
To get the most positive result, it is not enough just to glaze the loggia, it is necessary to insulate the floor, ceiling and adjacent walls, as well as the front fence - railings. The work is carried out according to a special technology using various materials (foam blocks, polystyrene foam, mineral wool).
Choose materials
The main condition in choosing a heat-insulating material is its lightness, in order to prevent the loggia from becoming heavier than the norm and to avoid collapse. Other characteristics of the insulation are also important:
- Thermal conductivity - the lower it is, the thinner the insulation layer can be laid.
- Moisture permeability - reduces the harmful effects of water on the insulation.
- Fire safety - the material must be fire resistant and in case of fire should not emit a toxic substance - carbon monoxide.
- Durability - possess properties of increased strength, allowing the material to resist the whole complex of negative effects on it.
- Simplicity of installation is an important property for an inexperienced master who decided to conduct a warming of the loggia with his own hands without the help of professionals.
Loggia ventilation
The open loggia used to have natural air ventilation, which cannot be said about the glazed loggias. Lack of ventilation leads to an increase in humidity, which ideally contributes to the development of bacteria and fungi. The windows are constantly in a foggy state, a microclimate harmful to health is developing.
Consider several ways to resolve this problem:
- The easiest way to ventilate on the loggia is to open a window for ventilation. The disadvantage of this ventilation method is heat loss and reduced protection against dust and street noise.
- A natural ventilation option is to install a flow-exhaust valve that allows you to receive portions of new air into the loggia in proportion to the volume of the remote. This valve provides ventilation and protects against dust and noise. It has one drawback - the operational efficiency depends on the difference in pressure between the room and the outdoor environment, in summer during the hot season the opposite ventilation effect can occur, in winter it will work as efficiently as possible.
- Forced ventilation - is to install on the outer wall of the loggia a fan that works in two directions of air flow: in and out. For large areas, it is recommended to install two fans, one in the lower position, for supply, the other at the top, for exhaust. The disadvantages of this method include some energy costs.
Summarize
A glazed loggia is the best option to expand the usable area of your apartment. Turning it into a comfortable room for relaxing or working, you can provide additional thermal insulation, reduce the cost of heating the apartment. All glazing work can be done with your own hands, saving a substantial part of the family budget.