Owners of apartments on the first floor of multi-storey buildings are often deprived of such a privilege as a balcony. But this is, albeit a small, but functional additional space, which is often used to store various things, conservation, etc. You can go to the balcony just to breathe air. Therefore, many owners of apartments on the ground floor can not accept his absence. They decide on the extension of the balcony. This procedure will be discussed later.
Possible difficulties
The attached balconies (photo below) look thoroughly, since permission to build a flimsy structure cannot be obtained.
Not only this condition must be met by the owner of the apartment in order to implement his plan. It is worth noting that, in theory, any resident of an apartment building can attach a balcony, regardless of the floor of his residence. However, in some cases this is a very complex process. The easiest way to build additional living space is on the ground floor.
However, putting such an idea into practice can be difficult for many reasons. It is necessary to obtain permission for the extension of the balcony, as this work belongs to the category of reconstruction. You will need to collect the appropriate paper, prepare documents. Their list will be no less than when building a house from scratch.
Difficulties arise if the building is built in the historical part of the city. Any changes can violate the special perception of the object, so the owners of apartments in such houses are often refused to carry out such work. But in typical high-rise buildings, such difficulties do not arise. The easiest way to get permission is for residents of sleeping areas. This document is issued in the Russian Federation in an organization that is engaged in the protection of architectural monuments.
Another difficulty faced by residents of the first floor when obtaining permission is the need to collect signatures from all neighbors. This is a mandatory requirement, since the house is common, like all its walls. If one of the neighbors refuses to sign, a refusal to complete construction work will follow.
You also need to properly prepare the documents that will need to be approved by the relevant authorities. The reconstruction project must be created in accordance with existing norms and rules. Otherwise, the extension can be dangerous, will be recognized as illegal.
How to get permission?
Is it possible to attach a balcony, depends on many factors. It is necessary to prepare an appropriate package of documents. They are transferred to the appropriate authorities. First you will need a document on the ownership of the person in this apartment. This may be a contract of sale, deed of gift, inheritance right, as well as privatization papers. You also need a passport and its photocopies, an identification code.
If the surname does not coincide in the passport and documents on ownership (even by one letter), you need to prepare a certificate of its change.
Upon request, an apartment registration certificate is presented, which must be compiled no later than 12 months ago. You also need to take a certificate from the Housing Office about the composition of the family (the number of people registered in the apartment).
It is also necessary to submit the signatures of neighbors who live a floor above and in the immediate vicinity of the apartment, about the consent to carry out such work. This document must be certified by a notary public. The collected papers are sent to the city or regional administration.
To attach a balcony in a panel house or other high-rise building, you should get a sketch of the construction object in the architecture department. This is a paid service, which costs about 8 thousand rubles. A plan is needed for proper construction work. Without it, a mistake can be made due to which the design will be unstable and unsafe. Therefore, in the construction department in your city you need to get the appropriate sketch.
In addition, permission is also obtained in the city water supply system, electricity network, gas service and the Ministry of Emergencies. During the visit to each instance, it will be necessary to pay the established amount of fees, which depend on the size of the future balcony. It is also worth considering that after the completion of the construction process, it will be necessary to present the construction to representatives of inspection organizations. Only after that it will be possible to obtain a registration certificate confirming the legality of the extension, allowing its operation.
Stages of the process of creating an extension
When considering how to attach a balcony to an apartment, it is worth paying attention to the legal procedure of this process.
If you build a balcony without permission, it is punishable by a fine, and a citizen will also be required to dismantle the extension at his own expense. This procedure is regulated by the courts.
The general legal mechanism consists of the following steps:
- The landlord obtains consent from all other owners of neighboring apartments, for example, at a general meeting or by collecting signatures. This is a mandatory action, as during the construction the external wall of the house, which is a common shared property, will be affected. Also, the balcony, which will be built on the first floor, can impede the access of residents to the land, which is also in common ownership of apartment owners. Therefore, a voluntary agreement of the owners is required.
- Preparation of permits and design documentation. Engineering surveys are necessarily carried out by an appropriate specialist who is involved in the implementation of this procedure on the basis of a contract. The design documentation is drawn up in the same manner, as well as its further examination. These documents allow you to obtain a building permit, which is issued by local authorities.
- After that, you can attach a balcony on the ground floor in accordance with the developed plan.
- Acceptance of the reconstruction, after which the landlord receives an act on the commissioning of the facility. This is the main document that allows you to obtain ownership of the apartment with new additions.
When can’t a balcony be attached?
There are situations when you can not attach a balcony to the house. In this case, you should completely forget about such an idea.
The refusal will be received with a 100% guarantee in the following cases:
- The windows of the apartment, to which additional housing needs to be completed, overlook the central street of the city.
- The house is recognized as a monument of history, architecture.
- The extension spoils the general appearance of the house, as the facade, for example, is made in the classical style, and the owners want to finish the balcony with modern materials, for example, in the high-tech style.
- Reconstruction may harm the building. This is possible if the house is old or there are slight deformations on its walls. During construction work, they can become larger, which will lead to the destruction of the wall or the house in general.
- Technologies, building materials do not meet modern requirements of SNiPa, SanPiNa, etc.
- Reconstruction involves the destruction of the bearing wall.
- Underground communications approach the surface closer than 2.5 meters from the future attached balcony on the ground floor.
These are the main cases when the reconstruction will have to be abandoned. There may be other reasons for the failure, which are determined during inspections at all stages of the work. If the balcony was not built in accordance with the approved plan, its operation will be impossible. To avoid significant financial costs, it is necessary to carry out construction work in accordance with all existing norms and rules.
Foundation
You can attach a balcony on the ground floor in various ways. The technology depends on the dimensions of the structure, the condition of the bearing walls, etc. If the extension is large, heavy, you can not do without arranging the foundation. Small, relatively light structures can be equipped with special supporting structures.
To properly make the foundation, you need to evaluate the features of the soil and climate in a given area. Necessarily need information on how deep the soil freezes in winter. The foundation should be built below this boundary. This is a mandatory requirement, otherwise the structure will be deformed. Because of this, the extension can also collapse.
The foundation should run along the perimeter of the entire balcony. The extension can be installed only near one room or capture immediately 2-3 rooms. Given the configuration of the balcony, a foundation is also created.
The foundation of the future extension can be done in different ways. It can be just a columnar structure, the elements of which are located at a distance of 50 cm from each other. If it is planned to make a small cellar at the base of the balcony, a strip foundation is set up. It is a strip of concrete that runs along the entire perimeter of the extension.
If the soil in this area is unstable, and the groundwater comes close to the surface, you will need to create a pile foundation. The height and appearance of the base is chosen in accordance with the general view of the house. It is necessary to apply a special backfill of gravel and sand, waterproofing and other materials required for the construction of the foundation.
Ceilings, walls
The attached balcony on the ground floor should be strong, stable, reliable. It should also be combined with the design of the facade of the building. As a ceiling, you can use a conventional reinforced concrete slab. She will serve as a floor in a future extension. In modern construction, plates with standard dimensions are used. Their width can be 1.2-1.8 m, and the length varies from 3 to 6 m.
Inside the balcony it will be possible to equip the flooring in accordance with your preferences. But the overlap is better to insulate. For this, different materials are used, for example expanded clay, mineral wool, polystyrene foam, etc. There are many options, but the safest way is to choose. Mineral wool is best suited for these purposes. For its installation, a frame is mounted on the floor, between the beams of which mineral thermal insulation is laid.
Sheets of plywood are laid on top, and waterproofing should be under the cotton. So you can avoid heat loss in the cold period.
The walls on the balcony must be strong. To do this, create partitions with a minimum thickness of 25 cm. Brick is best suited for these purposes. You need to choose varieties that are not exposed to moisture and adverse weather conditions. There should be space for glazing in front of the wall.
On the outside of the wall, it is also recommended to insulate. When choosing finishes for an extension, you need to consider the design features of the existing facade. It is necessary to harmoniously enter the extension into the general concept. Otherwise, you may not even get permission to conduct construction.
Open construction
The balcony attached to the house may not have walls to the top floor. In some cases, it is enough for the owners to create an open structure. This balcony has several advantages. This is a lightweight construction that does not need an arrangement of the foundation, which significantly reduces the cost of the construction process. It will be much more difficult to make a mistake, so putting the extension into operation will be easier.
The disadvantage of an open structure on the ground floor is its inability to protect the things stored here from uninvited guests. These can be both people and birds, animals. Open balconies are designed solely to allow owners to breathe fresh air. But you cannot store any things here.
Creating an open balcony
To mount an open structure under the balcony, racks of a solid metal profile are mounted. They look like corners, one side of which is attached to the wall of the house, and the second will support the balcony. Such structural elements are located at a distance of 50 cm from each other.
The extension of the balcony involves its installation on top of the metal corners. To do this, you need to purchase the appropriate profile. It is necessary to sheathe such a balcony with durable material, which is not afraid of impacts, weather influences. Next, you need to finish the floor inside the annex with material that is not afraid of water. This, for example, may be a deck board. It is also necessary to provide for the design of drains for water and melted snow.
Roof
Performing an extension of the balcony, you need to equip the roof. It protects the interior from rainfall. An inclined structure is mounted from the wall of the building. For this, a metal profile or wooden beams are used.
Next, the crate is mounted, and any roofing material is lined on it (best light). If the balcony is insulated, the insulation is mounted on the roof. In the place of contact of the structure with the wall of the house, a galvanized belt is installed. It should go to the wall of the house a few centimeters to protect the balcony from moisture.
Exit to the balcony
Concluding the balcony extension, you need to make an exit from the apartment. The window is dismantled, and part of the wall is dismantled. Next, install the balcony block. The opening for it should have standard sizes. Otherwise, you have to order a window and a door on an individual project.